Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 235, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 October 1912 — Market for Sharks’ Liver Oil. [ARTICLE]

Market for Sharks’ Liver Oil.

It has been proposed to start in Malaysia a small export trade in shark’s liver oil. This oil is refined in Europe and sold as cod liver oil. In October thef*ocean sharks come into the lagoon, between the barrier reef and the atolls, to pair. At this time they can be speared in large numbers by people skilled in catching them. There are several species of thepe sharks »nd they ordinarily run from seven to fifteen feet in length. The girth of an ordinary shark is the same as its length, and afi eleven-foot shark would be eleven feet around the body. The liver of a shark of this size gives about five gallons of oil. The oil brings $73 a ton. The sharkn are found in pairs and the harpooners try to kill the ijnale first, in which case they are able to also spear the female* as it does not desert its mate.