In Japanās Tottori prefecture, caught sharks are set to be marketed as treats for dogs and cats. A business in Chizu has developed dried pieces and a powder, TSK reported via FNN on 29 October. Sales at a local pet cafĆ© are planned to begin in November.
The television report shows the product presentation and the producer, which already processes game meat.
Game-meat processor develops a new use
According to the broadcaster, the prefecture suggested finding a use for sharks landed alongside the catch. Chizuās local government then commissioned the business to apply its experience making pet treats from venison. Development took about two months, the report says.
The background is a conflict with fisheries: TSK reports 447 cases of shark-related damage in Tottori by August 2026, with losses totalling 17.2 million yen. These figures describe reported fisheries damage; they are not a count of sharks off the coast.
Assessment requires information on species and sourcing
The report does not identify the shark species used, the catches they came from or the planned production volume. Nor does it present independent analyses of the new products. Describing this as a useful way to use the catch therefore leaves these supply-chain questions unanswered.
Ocean Blue Tree and WildAid are already investigating how pet treats create a distinct market for shark products in Thailand. The project combines DNA testing, contamination analysis and consumer surveys. It illustrates the information needed to assess such products.
Haitauchen has previously covered the research in Thailand. Those findings cannot be applied to the products from Chizu. For the Japanese initiative, the key questions remain which species are used and whether sourcing, fishing conditions and product quality are transparently documented.