Sharks die in nets

Press, 12 October 1988, Page 8

Sharks die in nets

By

MIKE DORNING

Two basking sharks died on Christchurch beaches yesterday after apparently becoming tangled in nets, said a parks official. A 6.5 m shark was washed into shallow water off South New Brighton and a 4.5 m shark was discovered on the beach between Shag Rock and Cave Rock in Sumner, said Mr Rob Dally, deputy general manager of the Christchurch City Council’s parks and recreation department.

The fisheries officer found one of the sharks dead 100 m off South New Brighton beach after a local resident reported it, said Mr Marshall Freer, acting senior fishery officer in Christchurch. Mr Freer said the shark was found rolled up in a gili net. The net appeared to be for amateur rather than commercial use. Mr Freer said he had no information about the other shark. Mr Peter Mitchell, a Rocking Horse Road resident who saw the shark yesterday morning, said it

was swimming in a channel between Sumner and South New Brighton at 9.30 a.m. but was dead in the water off South New Brighton beach by 11 a.m. “It was swimming about with its nose in the net. It started rolling round and thrashing and got all caught up in the net,” he said. Mr Freer said it was not unusual for sharks to become tangled in nets and die. “It is not common that they get fouled up in nets but it does happen from time to time,” he said.