FEATURED RESEARCH: DNA Reveals Illegal Trade of Aquatic Species

Scientists from the Philippines’ National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (NFRDI) have developed a DNA-based technique that can uniquely identify marine and aquatic species. This method has broad applications, including monitoring population distribution, biodiversity, and the collection and trade of species.

Using a DNA “fingerprinting” method, the scientists confirmed that illegal collection, distribution, and trade of juvenile eels (called “elvers”), sharks, and manta rays—classified as regulated and protected under Philippine and international laws—are taking place despite regulatory efforts.

Elvers are protected from exportation in the Philippines, while manta rays, listed under Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES), are strictly protected by law.

Effective implementation of laws regulating and protecting marine biodiversity requires accurate identification of the fisheries and aquatic species involved. However, correct species identification can be challenging without specialized techniques such as DNA fingerprinting, especially for commodities that have undergone some degree of processing.

The NFRDI study, led by Dr. Mudjekeewis Santos, used DNA fingerprinting to analyze randomly selected samples of confiscated products from suspected illegal, unregulated, and unreported (IUU) fisheries. These products were seized by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and Bureau of Customs authorities at Ninoy Aquino International Airport and Manila North Harbor in August and September 2012.

The confiscated items included 13 boxes of live juveniles and 2,300 kilos of processed and dried shark and ray byproducts, with an estimated value of about US$230,000.

DNA fingerprinting generates genetic profiles of commodities, allowing for accurate identification of individual species and differentiation of closely related species. This technique can be supplemented with DNA barcodes, which function similarly to the black stripes of the Universal Product Code used in supermarkets to distinguish products.

The NFRDI study is part of its ongoing research project, dubbed “Fishcodes,” which aims to employ DNA barcoding to profile protected and regulated Philippine aquatic species. The study was published in the May issue of the scientific journal Mitochondrial DNA.

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