Is A great white shark Edible?

Table of Contents

Quick Summary

Great white sharks are edible, but eating them is very controversial and generally not recommended. Their meat contains high levels of mercury and other toxins that can be dangerous to humans. However, some cultures have historically eaten great white shark meat as a delicacy or tribal tradition. Commercial fishing and sale of great white shark products is illegal in many parts of the world due to their vulnerable conservation status. While possible to eat, great white sharks should be appreciated in their natural environment, not on a dinner plate.

Are Great White Sharks Edible?

The simple answer is yes, the meat of great white sharks is edible if prepared properly. However, there are many important caveats to consider:

Great white shark meat has an extremely high mercury content, nearly 10 times higher than the safe consumption limit for humans.

Their liver contains high levels of vitamin A which can cause hypervitaminosis A, a dangerous condition if eaten in large quantities.
The meat has a very strong odor and taste compared to other fish.
They contain high concentrations of urea and trimethylamine oxide (TMAO), giving their meat a strong ammonia-like flavor.

Strict fishing regulations and vulnerable conservation status make acquiring great white shark meat difficult legally.

While the meat is technically edible, the high toxin levels, safety concerns, and legal protections mean that great white sharks are very rarely eaten.

Nutritional Profile

If someone did want to eat great white shark meat, here is an overview of its nutritional makeup:

Protein: Great white shark meat is high in protein. A 3 ounce serving contains around 20-25g of protein, similar to other lean fish like tuna.
Mercury: Mercury levels are dangerously high, containing over 3 parts per million (ppm). Anything over 1 ppm is considered unsafe by health authorities.
Squalene: This compound makes up 5-10% of great white shark liver oil. Squalene is sometimes used in cosmetics and dietary supplements.

Vitamin A: The liver oil is extremely high in vitamin A, to toxic levels if eaten in large portions.
Urea: High urea content creates ammonia-like taste. Urea helps sharks osmoregulate.
Other nutrients: Great white meat contains B-complex vitamins like B12, minerals like potassium, and small amounts of omega-3 oils.

While shark meat is nutritious overall, the safely concerns from heavy metals and vitamin A make it too risky to consume regularly.

Taste and Texture

The taste and texture of great white shark meat helps explain why it is so rarely eaten:

The high urea content gives the meat an ammonia-like flavor, somewhat reminiscent of urine.

Texture is similar to other firm white fish, though great white muscle tissue contains more protein and less fat.
Cooking does not remove the strong odor – this is caused by urea and TMAO locked in the tissue.
The flavor is not improved much by spices or sauces due to the overwhelming urine-like ammonia taste.

Freshness is very important, as urea breaks down quickly after death causing rapid spoilage.
Normal cooking methods like grilling, frying, or baking do not significantly improve the palatability.

The taste and smell of properly butchered great white shark meat is unappealing to most palates. Proper preparation and an adventurous food perspective are required to find it edible.

Legal Protection Status

It is illegal to hunt, fish or sell great white shark products in many parts of the world:

Great white sharks are listed as a Vulnerable species by the IUCN Red List due to declining populations from overfishing and bycatch.
They have been protected in South Africa and Australia since the 1990s, among the first countries to do so.

Internationally, great whites are included in CITES Appendix II, restricting trade of their parts and products.
They receive general protection in Europe under the EU Common Fisheries Policy.
In the US, great whites in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico are protected under the Endangered Species Act.

California and Oregon have state laws prohibiting great white fishing and sale of their body parts.

Laws in many parts of the world make landing great whites very difficult legally, despite the technical edibility of their meat.

Cultural Traditions of Eating Shark

While extremely rare today, there are some cultural precedents for eating great white shark meat:

The Māori people of New Zealand have a tradition of eating washed up great white sharks. They consume the protein-rich flesh and use the teeth for tools and weapons.
In the Gilbert Islands of the Pacific, great white shark meat was eaten by warriors after successful hunts, seen as a sign of bravery.
In parts of China, basking shark and whale sharks are sometimes sold as great white shark meat for medicinal purposes and health tonics.

Pacific Island cultures like Hawaii consumed all parts of sharks, especially prizeing the liver oil. Great whites were among the sharks hunted.
Some accounts suggest 19th century American whalers and sailors occasionally ate great white flesh to trade stories, but it was not a common practice.

While these cases are rare, they demonstrate certain cultural values and traditions prizeing the consumption of apex predators like sharks to gain their strength.

Should We Eat Great White Sharks?

Given the above nutrition, taste, conservation, and legal factors – combined with the availability of healthier and more sustainable seafood options – eating great white sharks is generally not recommended or advised:

The health risks from mercury and vitamin A toxicity outweigh any minor nutritional benefits.
The strong ammonia-like taste and odor makes the meat unpalatable for most people.

Legal availability is extremely limited due to vulnerability to overfishing.
More sustainable shark species like mako can be substituted for cusines valuing shark meat flavor.
Appreciating great whites for their power and ecological role is preferable to eating their meat.

While technically possible to eat, the risks, accessibility, taste, and sustainability concerns clearly suggest great white sharks should be valued in their natural habitats, not as a food source. Their unique biology and threatened status means they are better appreciated alive than in a meal.

Preparing and Cooking Great White Shark

If someone acquires legal great white shark meat and still wants to eat it, proper preparation is needed to create the best results:

Bleeding and gutting must be done immediately after catching to slow urea breakdown.

The meat should be rinsed well in an acidic liquid like vinegar or lemon juice to reduce amines.
Long marinating times in bold marinades can mask ammonia flavors.
Cutting into thin strips or slices prevents uneven cooking.

Slow moist cooking methods like stewing or poaching give the best texture.
Frying and grilling increase urea breakdown accelerating ammonia production.
Strong spices like thyme, rosemary, pepper and juniper berries complement the flavor.

Soaking in buttermilk or milk proteins can also reduce fishy odors.

Even with careful preparation, great white shark meat still has an unappealing flavor for many palates. Dedicated techniques like marinating, stewing, and bold spices improve results but cannot change the inherent taste qualities. For most consumers, the effort required far outweighs the unguaranteed results.

Health Risks of Eating Great White Sharks

Beyond just taste considerations, eating great white shark meat poses some health hazards that should be taken seriously:

Mercury levels exceeding 3 ppm pose neurotoxicity risks like impaired brain development in children.
Vitamin A toxicity can occur from eating shark livers, leading to nausea, blurry vision, and bone pain.
Urea breaking down into ammonia may pose toxicity risks, but effects are poorly documented.

There are minimal risks of parasitic infections from well-cleaned shark meat.
Biomagnification of toxins up the marine food web impacts shark health and quality.
Very high protein levels can tax kidney function, but this is not a major risk with occasional consumption.

There are no documented bacterial hazards specific to shark meat relative to other fish.

Pregnant women and children should avoid great white shark products completely. Healthy adults eating a small serving infrequently are unlikely to experience immediate issues, but regular consumption boosts chronic disease risks over time.

Environmental and Ecological Considerations

Beyond health effects, eating great white sharks has negative impacts on marine ecosystems:

Great white sharks are apex predators that maintain balance in ocean food chains.
Overfishing for their fins and meat damages populations already threatened by habitat loss.
Their slow growth, late maturity, and low offspring rates make great whites highly vulnerable to extinction.

Banning consumption helps encourage greater conservation efforts.
Ecotourism centered on shark-diving generates much greater economic value than fishing.
Sustainable commercial fishing of faster-growing shark species provides ample alternate food sources.

Preventing the consumption of great white shark products helps preserve the health of marine ecosystems and encourages more responsible ecotourism practices providing income to local communities.

Conclusion

Great white sharks are technically edible, but offer minimal nutritional value while posing numerous health risks from high mercury levels and vitamin A toxicity. The strong ammonia-like odor of the meat also makes it unappealing to most diners. Moreover, great whites have legal protections in many parts of the world due to vulnerable population status, making their meat impossible to legally obtain. Culturally, eating great white sharks was historically practiced by a few Pacific Island and New Zealand indigenous groups, but this was very rare.

Given the health dangers, ecological impacts, sustainability concerns, and availability restrictions, eating great white shark meat cannot be recommended today. The risks and accessibility issues far outweigh any perceived exotic benefits. Instead, appreciating great whites for their power, evolutionary adaptations, and critical environmental niches should make it clear these animals are better appreciated alive in our oceans than on a plate. With many alternate seafood options, there is no good reason to eat these magnificent but threatened creatures.