Can you eat a dusky shark?
Dusky shark
Because of its slow reproductive rate, the dusky shark is very vulnerable to human-caused population depletion. This species is highly valued by commercial fisheries for its fins, used in shark fin soup, and for its meat, skin, and liver oil. It is also esteemed by recreational fishers. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has assessed this species as Near Threatened worldwide and Vulnerable off the eastern United States, where populations have dropped to 15–20% of 1970s levels. The dusky shark is regarded as potentially dangerous to humans due to its large size, but there are few attacks attributable to it.
Dark shyshark
The dark shyshark poses no danger to humans and is too small to be of commercial importance. Many are hooked by sport fishers casting from the shore, who regard the shark as a pest and often kill it. It may also be caught by subsistence fishers and in lobster traps and bottom trawls, though not in substantial quantities. This shark occasionally finds its way into the aquarium trade, though there is no direct fishing for this purpose. As the dark shyshark remains common and does not seem heavily threatened by human activity, it has been assessed as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Its small range does raise concerns that an increase in regional fishing pressure or habitat degradation could impact the entire population.