By GB News (World News) | Created at 2026-09-08 18:25:38 | Updated at 2026-09-08 19:39:44
1 hour ago
Scientists have lifted a lid on the lives of three of England's most at-risk shark species.
A new three-year research initiative led by the University of Exeter aims to shed light on the behaviour of porbeagle, tope (also known as school sharks), and blue sharks.
Dr Lucy Hawkes, an associate professor co-leading the study alongside Dr Matthew Witt, secured close to £1million in funding from Natural England.
The project brings together the Marine Biological Association, the Angling Trust, and the Pat Smith Database.
Dr Hawkes said: "I like the porbeagle, which looks like a baby great white shark. Surfers could see one and absolutely poop their pants, but they're not dangerous."
British waters are home to over 40 shark species, yet researchers remain remarkably uninformed about most of them.
The study will draw on observations from an estimated three million recreational anglers across the country, whose reports serve as an invaluable resource for marine scientists.
Dr Francesco Garzon, a marine biologist on the team, said: "Even if all the shark researchers in England got together, we just couldn't have the same level of records.
Scientists have lifted a lid on the lives of three of England's most at-risk shark species
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Angler records are an essential tool, helping us understand shark populations."
Fishers log their encounters through the Pat Smith Database, an online archive of shark catches stretching back to 1953.
Recreational shark fishing in Britain has shifted to catch-and-release practices, with anglers now measuring live sharks in the water rather than weighing dead specimens hauled aboard.
Dr Garzon said: "The UK has a long history of recreational fishing for sharks and big fish like tuna. It's one of the best places to see sharks in Europe."
The tagging programme will deploy 40 devices costing £1,500 apiece, designed to remain attached for roughly 45 days.
A new three-year research initiative aims to shed light on the behaviour of porbeagle, tope (also known as school sharks), and blue sharks
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These shorter-term tags should show how effectively sharks survive after anglers catch and release them.
A further 30 tags, priced at approximately £4,500 each and lasting around a year, will allow scientists to reconstruct each animal's movements.
Dr Garzon said: "These enable us to reconstruct a shark's path and tell us how deep each shark has been diving and for how long."
Researchers also plan to collect DNA during tagging, typically by snipping a tiny piece of fin skin or swabbing the animal's surface.
This genetic data will help map connections between populations, potentially revealing whether blue sharks found off France and England are closely related, or how species such as tope congregate to breed.
Direct commercial fishing and accidental bycatch pose the greatest dangers to sharks in British waters, according to Dr Garzon.
If tagging data show these animals moving through areas where fisheries with high bycatch rates operate, that information could prove vital for conservation planning.
Dr Hawkes draws a parallel between shark anglers and bird ringers, describing both groups as deeply committed to the natural world.
She said: "These people are so passionate about the marine environment; they want to spend thousands of hours just trying to see these amazing animals up close. They're obsessed with sharks."
She added: "I'd love to change people's minds about these beautiful animals. They totally belong here."
