A shark from an endangered species was found dead on the shores of an Australian coastal town. The Department of Primary Industries (DPI) said that this is the fourth time in the past 12 months that a gray nurse shark was washed ashore in the country.
The sharks have been found near Blacksmiths Beach in the south of Newcastle. Yahoo! News Australia reported that the most recent shark found on the beach had a hook attached to a 2-meter thick wire embedded deep in its guts. The incidents of dead gray nurse sharks happened after a colony vanished 60 miles north.
Mysteriously Disappearance of a Gray Nurse Shark Colony
Gray nurse sharks can swim hundreds of miles, with some being spotted in various places in Australia, like in the New South Wales North Coast to as far as Queensland. They usually pose no threat to humans as they only target fish. Hence they are called the "labradors of the sea."
In May this year, Yahoo! News Australia reported that a colony of gray nurse sharks vanished from an ocean stronghold at Seal Rocks, about 62 miles (100 kilometers) north of Blacksmiths Beach.
Experts suggested their mysterious disappearance was likely because they were fleeing overzealous divers who ventured too close to them to take photos for Instagram.
A week after that report, several gray white sharks were found in the area at very low levels compared to before they disappeared. However, local researcher Dr. Keith Bishop said that these sharks could be different individuals.
Until today, authorities are calling on the public's help with any information about the lost colony of gray nurse sharks at nearby Blacksmiths Beach. For anyone with information, contact Hunter Fisheries Office on 4980 9200 or call the FishersWatch Hotline on 1800 043 536.
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Gray Nurse Shark Deaths in the Past 12 Months
According to Newsweek, the three previous gray nurse shark deaths were all found in October 2021, just a few miles from each other. DPI spokesperson Hilary Longhurst told the news outlet that there is no evidence that the deaths are the work of deliberate killings of the rare species, but rather it was just a poor stroke of luck that killed the sharks.
The first sighting was on Oct. 6 at Lucy's Wall Swansea Heads at about 0.6 miles (1 kilometer) south of Swansea Belmont Surf Club, while the second one was found a day after at Nine Mile Beach at about 0.6 to 1.2 miles (1 to 2 kilometers) north of Swansea Belmont Surf Club.
The third sighting was found over a week later, on Oct. 25, 2021, at about 9.3 miles (15 kilometers) south of Blacksmiths Beach. The latest one was discovered on Aug. 3 at Blacksmiths Beach in front of Swansea Belmont Surf Club.
Yahoo! News Australia reported that the deaths are not isolated to Swansea as some bodies of juvenile gray nurse sharks were also discovered on the south coast near Culburra. Authorities suspect it was not fishing-related deaths.
Authorities warn anglers against catching protected species of shark, like the gray nurse sharks, white sharks, great hammerhead sharks, scalloped hammerheads, and sand tiger sharks or they will be fined with large penalties and/or persecuted by the law.
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