Angler catches rare shark in shallow waters off Swansea Beach

YouTuber, Alex Mcglynn, a biology graduate from the University of South Wales, co-runs popular angling channel The Hooky 2.

Alex shared footage of his rare catch of a 40lb tope shark from the beach, and its safe release again back into the sea, with his 2,000 subscribers – a video that has had over a quarter of a million views so far.

The YouTuber said the “remarkable and rare encounter” was an “unusual and unexpected catch for our area”.  

The tope shark, also known as the school shark, is a slender, elegant shark species inhabiting the upper continental shelf down to 550m, and is known for its long migrations. 

The shark has a grey upper body, white belly, two dorsal fins, and a distinctive notched tail. It can grow up to 6 feet long and primarily eats bony fish, but also consumes crustaceans and cephalopods. 

There has never been any record of an unprovoked Tope attack on humans, so no need to fear this elegant shark.

The tope shark is currently listed as critically endangered by the IUCN Red List. 

Alex said: “Tope sharks are not typically associated with inshore waters of South Wales, let alone caught directly from the beach.

“As someone with a background in marine biology, I’m aware that rising sea temperatures are starting to bring more unusual species into our coastal waters.

“This catch could be a sign of a growing presence of shark species in Welsh waters, something that has implications for local biodiversity, fisheries, and even public awareness of our changing seas.”

Tope sharks are vulnerable to overfishing due to their slow growth rate and relatively few offspring. Their flesh is sometimes used in “fish and chips” as a substitute for cod or haddock. In the past, tope sharks were targeted for their high vitamin A content in their liver. 

Tope are protected in UK and EU waters, and if caught on rod and line must be returned to the sea alive.

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Swansea Council has teamed up with the Secret Bar and Kitchen for the initiative.

The toys are stored in a container by the venue and families are welcome to borrow what they wish free of charge, use them on the beach and then return them before they head for home.

Council cabinet member for Community Support, Hayley Gwilliam, said: “There are few better ways to play together as a family than visiting the coast and the Beach Library will hopefully encourage even more families to get out and about.

“In Swansea we are committed to providing low and no cost activities for all families and there are literally hundreds of things to do this summer, as well as free buses every Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

“Going to the beach can be an economical day out, especially important for families on a budget, but when the weather is good what can beat time spent playing on the sand?

“The Beach Library means that those that don’t have, or forget, their buckets and spades or bats and balls, can still enjoy their day.

“We are very grateful to the Secret for agreeing to host the library and for their generous donation of toys to get us started and all we’d ask of those using them is that they look after whatever they borrow and return them once they have finished playing with them.

“If there are families who have toys that are intact, not damaged, but they no longer use, then they are welcome to add them to the library and their donation would be appreciated.”

The Toy Library container, which was decorated by some of the 3,000 children who attended the free Play Day Celebration at the National Waterfront Museum early this month, will be open every day of the year.

Ryan Hole of the Secret Bar & Kitchen said: “At the Secret, supporting our local community is one of our key principles. We’re really grateful for the support we receive from the Swansea people, especially during the summer holidays where lots use the beach. 

“We’re proud to be working on this in collaboration with Swansea Council and it’s a pleasure to be able to provide the toys to allow families to use the beautiful Swansea Bay.” 

(Lead image: Swansea Council)

https://swanseabaynews.com/2024/08/20/swansea-beach-library-to-loan-toys-to-families/

#beach #beachLibrary #CllrHayleyGwilliam #Swansea #SwanseaBeach #SwanseaCouncil #toys