Greenland – All the species of sharks are not protected and some could become useful as biofuel.

The Greenland shark is one of the most common species of sharks and is a nuisance to fishermen. Its meat is indeed toxic to humans. Researchers hope it may now be used as biofuel.

Thousands of these sharks are caught in fishing nets and die needlessly every year because they are discarded dead in the water. They are very large, comparable in size to that of the great white shark: they weigh a ton and measure about 7 meters. The Greenland shark is a large predator.

According to the Arctic Technology Center (ARTEK) based in Sisimiut, Greenland, oily meat of these sharks is able to produce biogas from waste from the fishing industry. This biogas could be used to produce heat or electricity with a neutral method in terms of carbon emissions.

The process involves mixing the meat with algae and worn water. This project could help villages to become self-sufficient.

For a specialist in the WWF, Anne-Marie Bjerg, this is not a good idea because, she says, all we know about these sharks are very still very little which lives in a very limited geographical area: the arctic.