Basking Sharks Injured By Boats

September 1, 2007

Release from: Louise Vennells
Thisiscornwall.co.uk (UK)

A wildlife expert has called for the introduction of speed restrictions for boats in areas where basking sharks are numerous, after two were found injured off Cornwall.

The suggestion was raised after one of the animals was found with its dorsal and tail fins severed, as if it had been hit by the propeller of a boat. Another drowned after it became entangled in buoy ropes.

But yesterday, boat operators branded the idea of speed restrictions at sea as "unworkable" and said most did abide by the rules.

Public interest in sharks has been particularly high this year, after a false claim that a deadly Great White was spotted in Cornish waters. It sparked a media frenzy, fed by the general intrigue surrounding the creatures.

Dr Ruth Leeney, a biologist with the University of Exeter, who is based at the Cornwall campus, photographed the injured basking shark off Porthcurno in West Cornwall last Saturday. She believes the boat that caused the injuries got too close, possibly because it was travelling too fast.

The other shark was spotted off Sennen Cove in West Cornwall in June, when members of the British Divers Marine Life Rescue organised retrieval of a carcass found wrapped in ropes.

Dr Leeney said: "If people drive their boats very fast in certain areas and they are unaware that basking sharks feed there, it's quite possible that someone collided with a shark without having seen it. I would like to see more awareness in the boating community in areas like Penzance, which is a hot spot for basking sharks. A speed restriction could be beneficial there."

The Marine Conservation Society has voiced fears that boat owners are breaking the law by getting too close. Jean-Luc Solandt, the society's biodiversity policy officer, said: "UK law and the basking shark Code of Conduct has been designed to prevent these animals from disturbance and injury. Clearly some people are ignoring the law and it seems this shark has suffered as a result. Anyone witnessing boats deliberately approaching sharks too closely with their engines running should report the incident to the police."

Rory Goodall, of Elemental Tours and Atlantic Adventures, which operates wildlife-spotting trips, said he supported the idea of speed restrictions. Mr Goodall, who found the shark that was wrapped in buoy rope, said he always slowed down near the creatures.

But Clive Singleton, of Cornwall Power Cruises, said: "Speed restrictions are totally unworkable. A basking shark can appear anywhere. As a responsible operator, we are very aware of that and we abide by the law and the code of practice."

When she spotted the injured creature, Dr Leeney was photographing basking sharks to contribute to an identification database, which will help scientists find out more about their habits.

At the moment, very little is known about their patterns of movement.

This year there is a thriving population of the species off the south-west coast of Cornwall. But in past years, the population has significantly dropped.