The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) and the University of Vigo, Spain have developed an interactive software for identifying shark species from the shape of their fins.
iSharkFin identifies species commonly seen in international trade, including those listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendices.
29 January 2015: The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) and the University of Vigo, Spain, have developed an interactive software for identifying shark species from the shape of their fins. iSharkFin identifies species commonly seen in international trade, including those listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendices.
The software aims to help users without formal taxonomic training, such as customs agents, fish traders and port inspectors, to identify shark species using only a picture of a fin. iSharkFin can identify 35 species from their dorsal fins, and seven species from their pectoral fins. Future versions of the software are expected to be able to identify all main shark species in the trade.
The Government of Japan and CITES provided financial support for the software’s development. [FAO Press Release] [iSharkFin Webpage] [Publication: iSharkFin Manual]