Endangered Porbeagle shark stranded on Cornwall beach

19/07/2007 00:00:00 July 2007. In contrast to the scaremongering by some national press about an ‘alleged’ Great white shark sighting off Cornwall, a dead, juvenile porbeagle shark met with sympathy and interest at Gunwalloe in Cornwall, where it washed ashore. Families gathered around to look at the stricken shark and many expressed great sadness to see that it had died. Following the hysteria caused by the media coverage of the supposed great white sightings, it is reassuring that people on the beach showed no signs of fear at the sight of the dead shark. People were still surfing and swimming and didn't seem at all concerned - and rightly so.

Jeff Loveridge, who recorded the fish for Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s Marine Strandings Network said, ‘The children were particularly interested and appreciated how lucky they were to get up close and personal with such a rare shark, but many said how sad it was to see it dead. We were really grateful to the holiday makers that helped us carry it - and to the chap who helped confirm the species: he just happened to have a shark reference book with him at the time.’

Marine Strandings network
Jan Loveridge of the Trust’s Marine Strandings network commented, ‘When the Kerrier Lifeguards called us out, we expected to find a small dogfish, so it was a bit of a shock to encounter this fantastic shark. At this time of year it is common for stranded basking sharks to be reported, but this is the first time we’ve received a call about a porbeagle.’ Caroline Curtis, a volunteer who helped record the shark said, ‘This young shark was only 1.5m long and looked as if it had died very recently. Sadly we found what resembles rope marks around the shark’s body, indicating that it may have died as a result of being caught in fishing gear.’

Porbeagle sharks
Joana Doyle, Marine Conservation Officer for the Trust added, ‘The porbeagle, which is one of the species of shark most often confused for being a great white, does not pose any threat to humans. In fact, it is us that threaten their survival. Porbeagle sharks are now critically endangered in the Northeast Atlantic due to over exploitation for their meat and from being accidentally caught in fishing nets.’

‘Sharks are fascinating creatures and most are under severe threat due to over-fishing. It would make a refreshing change to see the media help us promote shark conservation, rather than focusing on these apparent great white sightings which are guaranteed to hit the papers each year, leaving many people unnecessarily terrified of getting in the sea.’

What to do if you find a dead shark or whale
It is important that members of the public call the Trust’s 24-hour Marine Strandings Hotline on 0845 201 2626 if they ever come across a dead marine animal. This means that volunteers can then record important information about the animals and take samples. Samples were taken from the porbeagle for the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth, who is currently undertaking research into all species of shark. The Trust will also share the data with the Shark Trust, who work hard to promote shark conservation.