Deepwater Crisis: Cosmetic Demand Pushes Mysterious Gulper Sharks Toward Extinction

SAMARKAND, Uzbekistan – With their distinctly bright green eyes and slender, prehistoric forms, gulper sharks are ancient enigmas of the deep, inhabiting the cold, dark waters between 200 and 1,500 meters globally. Yet, these poorly understood creatures, which have roamed the oceans for millions of years, are now facing a catastrophic decline, targeted by a massive, multi-million-dollar industry.

Three-quarters of gulper shark species are currently classified as threatened with extinction. The primary driver of this crisis is the high demand for their liver oil, which contains an exceptionally high concentration (over 70%) of squalene, a prized chemical compound in the cosmetics industry for its moisturizing and antioxidant properties.

The Rise of Deep-Sea Exploitation

While deepwater species have historically been overlooked by trade regulations, the advancement of fishing technology and the depletion of coastal fish stocks have made deep-sea environments increasingly accessible. A 2024 study in the journal Science highlighted the dire situation, revealing that nearly two-thirds of threatened deepwater sharks and rays have been utilized in liver oil products.

Gulper sharks are particularly vulnerable because they are slow to mature and have low reproductive rates—a biological profile described as being “more akin to the way mammals breed than any fish species,” according to Matt Collis, senior director for policy at the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). This slow biological clock means that once populations are depleted, recovery is agonizingly slow. For instance, the dumb gulper shark, severely overfished off Australia, is estimated to require 86 years just to regain 25% of its original population size.

This aggressive exploitation has caused gulper shark numbers to plummet by more than 80% in some regions over the last two to three decades.

CITES: The Hope for International Protection

Against this backdrop of rapid decline, conservationists and legal experts are meeting at the 20th Conference of Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

On the table is a crucial proposal: to include all gulper sharks in CITES Appendix II. This designation would not prohibit trade entirely, but it would regulate the international cross-border movement of the species and its products.

“CITES is one of the few international agreements that actually has a compliance mechanism attached to it,” Collis explained, noting that the threat of trade suspensions creates a real incentive for countries to improve their fisheries management and ensure that any trade is sustainable and legal. The proposal itself acknowledges that the listing is overdue, aiming to regulate trade now, before populations fall to the point where they require the near-total ban of Appendix I.

The Squalene Industry’s Challenge

The fight to save the gulper shark is a battle against a multi-million-dollar global market. The global squalene market was estimated at $150 million in 2023, with the cosmetics and personal care sector accounting for over 70% of the revenue share. While approximately 80% of squalene is now sourced from plants—primarily olive oil, and increasingly from sustainable alternatives like bioengineered sugarcane—a significant amount of demand still drives shark fishing. It’s estimated that extracting one ton of squalene requires the livers of around 3,000 sharks.

Although major corporate players, including L’Oreal and Unilever, committed to eliminating shark-derived squalene from their supply chains years ago, a 2015 study by the French marine conservation group BLOOM found that 20% of tested moisturizing creams still contained shark squalene, particularly among Asian brands.

Producers of sustainable alternatives, like Biossance, argue that bioengineered plant-based squalene can mimic the moisturizing properties of shark liver oil while delivering superior results. The company supports the CITES proposal, noting it is the “right step toward protecting marine biodiversity” and will accelerate the shift away from animal-derived ingredients in the beauty industry.

The CITES vote represents a critical juncture. For species like the Maldives’ gulper sharks, whose populations were reduced by 97% in 21 years before the country banned fishing in 2010, international regulation is vital. Conservationists hope the parties will finally heed the call for action, recognizing that these unique, slow-reproducing deepwater sharks “just can’t sustain this level of exploitation.”