Scientist develops portable dna test to combat illegal shark fin trade and save endangered species

Marine biologist Diego Cardeñosa has revolutionized the fight against illegal shark fin trading with a groundbreaking portable DNA testing device that works like a rapid COVID-19 test. After spending years in what he called a “tiny stinky lab in Hong Kong full of dried fins,” Cardeñosa developed forensic technology that can quickly and affordably identify whether dried shark fins come from protected species.

The innovation addresses a critical enforcement gap in Hong Kong, the world’s largest shark fin trade hub. Previously, customs inspectors often had to allow suspicious shipments through because traditional DNA laboratory tests took too long to process. Cardeñosa’s portable kit enables real-time detection, empowering inspectors to crack down on illegal trade that has pushed many of the world’s 500-plus shark species toward extinction.

The device is now being deployed internationally across multiple continents, from South American countries like Brazil, Peru, and Ecuador to the United States, Sri Lanka, and Tanzania, with expansion plans for additional nations. Beyond immediate enforcement applications, data generated by Cardeñosa’s identification technology has provided crucial scientific evidence supporting the protection of dozens of shark species under CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) regulations.

By choosing laboratory research over the more glamorous field work of tagging sharks, Cardeñosa created a tool that could prove instrumental in saving entire species from extinction through more effective enforcement of international wildlife protection laws.