A University of Guelph professor will address the federal Standing Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans Dec. 7.

Dirk Steinke, an adjunct professor in the Department of Integrative Biology and the associate director of research co-ordination in U of G’s Centre for Biodiversity Genomics (CBG), will testify at 8:15 a.m. and then answer questions during an hour-long session.

The committee is holding hearings about a bill to amend the Fisheries Act and the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act (importation of shark fins).

Steinke published a study in August that found the majority of shark fins and manta ray gills sold around the globe for traditional medicines come from endangered species. The study used cutting-edge DNA barcoding technology developed at U of G.

Steinke joined the Biodiversity Institute of Ontario – CBG in 2006. He has coordinated an international research program to barcode marine species.