Squalene, extracted from the creatures’ livers, has been used in millions of doses of the pandemic H1N1/09 vaccine made by companies such as GlaxoSmithKline, GSK and Norvatis, according to a National Geographic report.
Among Western countries, the vaccines have been supplied in Europe and Canada, but the USA has yet to approve vaccines containing squalene.
Unfortunately deepwater species, many of which are threatened from overfishing because they have very low reproduction rates, are being targeted because they give high yields of liver-related products.
The sharks exist mainly in the 300m to 1500m depth ranges and are gathered often by bottom trawling. According to National Geographic, the most prolific for squalene is the gulper shark, the female of which takes from 12 to 15 years to become reproductively active.
While the squalene is extracted from some sharks caught as by-catch, and from others targeted for other reasons, there is evidence, reported National Geographic, that “some squalene suppliers are actively soliciting fishers for these sharks [gulpers]”.
Squalene has been used also by the cosmetics industry but, because of pressure from conservationists, companies have been switching to alternative constituents.
Amongst the vaccine producers GSK, for instance, has said that it is looking at alternative sources of squalene, such as olive oil. But, a representative told National Geographic, the company remained “unable to find an alternative of high enough grade”.
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