A thresher shark was found dead on Par beach, Cornwall by a dogwalker on New Year’s Day. The shark - a species listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as Endangered in European waters - was 4.25 meters long and weighed 2kg. Volunteers from Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s Marine Strandings Network received the call, and shortly after attended Par beach to recover the shark, ahead of a post-mortem examination.  

Sadly, initial assessments suggest the shark experienced significant trauma, with damage to the mouth 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.

"Bycatch, the accidental entanglement of marine animals in fishing gear, poses a major risk to sharks and other ocean wildlife. Cornwall Wildlife Trust urges anyone carrying out commercial or recreational fishing to follow guidance to ensure the safe handling and release of animals accidentally caught."

More information about this can be found on Clean Catch’s website.  

Cornwall Wildlife Trust is extremely grateful to our amazing volunteers and local community members of who helped move the animal and keep people at a safe distance, as Marine Strandings Network volunteers recorded the stranding and collected key data. Following this, the shark was sent for post-mortem by the Cornwall Marine Pathology Team, and full results will be released in due course.

If any members of the public find a dead animal stranded on Cornwall’s beaches, please call Cornwall Wildlife Trusts Marine Strandings hotline on 0345 201 2626.

Thresher sharks (Alopias vulpinus) are rarely seen in UK waters, they are incredible predators and they use an elongated tail fin to stun and immobilise their prey. They have been seen leaping out of the water, a behaviour thought to help them remove parasites.

Commercial fishers are currently allowed to land thresher sharks although they are not actively targeted by fishers. Recreational anglers also target sharks although most now do catch and release fishing. Guidance on safe handling and release of bycaught sharks can be found on the Clean Catch Hub.