The aroma of grilled fish and savory pancakes wafts through a crowded market in South Korea’s southeast, where vendors call out prices and customers weave through the narrow aisles. Amid the mackerel and octopus lie slabs of dombaegi — shark meat.

In the coastal Gyeongsang Province, dombaegi remains a beloved regional delicacy as families across South Korea prepare for chuseok, the country’s mid-autumn harvest festival. During this time, families gather to honor their ancestors with special foods and rituals. 

But the cultural significance of dombaegi now clashes with a troubling reality: the global decline of shark populations.

Last week, Korea