Shark found dead after suspected 'sport fishing'

An endangered species of shark was found dead at a beach in Cornwall after experiencing "significant trauma" after suspected "sport fishing", a wildlife trust said.

Cornwall Wildlife Trust said a male thresher shark, 4.25m (13.9ft), found on Par beach, was reported to its marine stranding programme on Wednesday.

The trust said there was damage to the mouth of the animal, and signs of haemorrhaging, both of which likely occurred before the animal died.

Marine Conservation Officer Matt Slater said: "While difficult to say for certain, early findings suggest the animal's death may have been the result of line caught sport fishing."

He said: "Bycatch, the accidental entanglement of marine animals in fishing gear, poses a major risk to sharks and other ocean wildlife."

Mr Slater said the shark had been sent for a post-mortem examination by the Cornwall Marine Pathology Team and the results would be released in "due course".

The thresher shark, a species listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list as endangered in European waters, was moved by "amazing" volunteers and community members.

He said sightings of thresher sharks were "rare in the South West", but "they live in temperate waters so have always been found around the UK's coast".

Cornwall Wildlife Trust urged anyone carrying out commercial or recreational fishing to follow guidance to ensure the safe handling and release of animals accidentally caught.

It added any members of the public who find a dead animal stranded on beaches in Cornwall should call the trust's marine stranding's hotline on 0345 201 2626.

In November 2024, a common thresher shark, an adult female which was 4m (13.1ft), was found entangled in a net, also known as a "ghost net" at Clovelly Harbour, Devon.