The Shark Trust Media Briefing: Cornish ‘man-eating’ sharks

In the wake of a succession of alleged sightings of exotic shark species off the Cornish coast, the Shark Trust expresses considerable concerns over the ongoing press coverage of these events and the potential damage this might cause not only for Cornish tourism interests, but equally for the welfare of local sharks.

Moreover, such stories will be causing unnecessary alarm amongst holidaymakers and other beachgoers.

It is important to stress that not one of the recent sightings – three supposedly of shortfin mako sharks (Isurus oxyrinchus) and more lately of a bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) – has been supported with any tangible evidence. Researchers of the Shark Trust, alongside other shark biologists, have repeatedly and unanimously stressed that in all likelihood, these sightings pertain to innocuous species, especially the basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus), which is seasonally common around Cornwall and when spotted in the water, routinely misidentified for other species throughout its global range.

Mako shark sightings
Only one of the recent sightings – made well offshore by anglers, of a large, leaping shark – could, potentially have been a shortfin mako though this is a remote possibility: the size of the animal and its breaching fit the local and common basking shark perfectly. Nonetheless, it must be noted that the shortfin mako has been confirmed from British waters since 1955 and though increasingly rare, it is a recognised summer vagrant to our shores.

However, we dismiss supposed sightings of this species in the surf line near St. Ives (and elsewhere) as misidentifications of juvenile basking sharks. The mako is an oceanic, offshore species that does not penetrate into the shallow surf zone. Conversely, the basking shark readily enters such shallow waters, often creating 'panics' amongst bathers.

Shortfin makos are primarily specialised, active fish-eaters though larger specimens (i.e, over 3 metres in length), sometimes feed on more substantial prey such as dolphins. Not least because of their offshore habits, attacks by this species upon humans are extremely rare. We know of only one near-shore, non-fatal incident reliably attributed to this species, which occurred off Eilat, Gulf of Aqaba (Israel), in September 1974.

The prospect of any such event occurring around Cornwall is extremely small and it is important to note that NO case of unprovoked shark attack has ever been recorded in the British Isles. This alone is testimony to the negligible risk posed to humans by local species of sharks.

Bull shark sightings
Today’s press commentary on these sightings at Sennen Cove (e.g., Daily Mail) has been wholly unqualified and uncritical. This tropical and subtropical species has never been recorded anywhere northwards of the Atlantic coasts of NW Africa (and not Spain, as suggested in the Daily Mail piece). Even on the NW African coasts, it is a rare, occasional species and has not been recorded from the adjacent Mediterranean.

Despite year-on-year monitoring of rare shark captures within the intensive commercial fisheries of Biscay and the Iberian Peninsula, this species has never been recorded there. In short, there is no evidence whatsoever to suggest that this species ranges to British shores and in all likelihood, the sightings at Sennen Cove were misidentifications of another species. Whilst we certainly do not dismiss the prospect of exotic, warm-water shark species being positively recorded in the future around UK waters, the bull shark is a variety that is extremely unlikely to be amongst these.

Identifying any shark when seen fleetingly from above, looking down through the water, is extremely difficult and the animals seen in the Sennen cases were more likely to have been either young basking sharks, or less probably porbeagles (Lamna nasus), tope (Galeorhinus galeus) or even the (usually deepwater) bluntnose sixgill shark (Hexanchus griseus).

Great white shark sightings
Previous supposed sightings of this species around SW England, all without tangible supporting evidence, are discussed elsewhere on this website: see

http://www.sharktrust.org/cgi/home.asp?id=169

For further information and comment:
• Richard Peirce, Shark Trust Chairman (Padstow): 07836-606325
• Ian Fergusson, Shark Trust Patron & Biologist (BBC Bristol): 07736-481172

Source: www.sharktrust.org