Two sharks found entangled in fishing lines

The rare and “very special” sighting of a lemon shark in the North Sound has been marred for marine enthusiasts, after the animal was recorded struggling to swim, having become entangled in abandoned fishing lines.

“Our surveys have shown that lemon sharks are one of the eight common coastal shark species in Cayman however one of the least abundant. This means seeing a lemon shark is very special. Due to their low abundance, there is more risk for this species to disappear in Cayman and become locally extinct,” Dr Johanna Kohler, the Department of Environment’s Shark Project Officer, told the Cayman Compass, following queries Thursday afternoon.

This was one of two recent incidents, highlighted by the DoE, in which sharks were recorded by passers-by, having been severely impacted by abandoned fishing lines.

“It is sad to see any animal being injured or struggle for survival, especially when it could be very easily prevented, as in these cases,” Kohler said.

The sighting of the injured lemon shark, as well as a nurse shark – videos of which were posted on the DoE Instagram page – has prompted a renewed call for the public to safely discard their fishing gear.

“In the past month, we received multiple reports of sharks stuck or entangled in ropes and floats. Fishing gear left or lost by fishermen continues to catch wildlife, poses a danger to divers and boats, and can get entangled on coral reefs,” said the DoE.

Locally, she said, other threats to sharks include accidental capture, coastal development, and pollution.

“Sharks that are entangled might die if it prevents the individual from swimming or feeding. It is hard to tell from the footage how severe the animals are injured or impacted,” Kohler said.

Injured sharks not located

Kohler said the nurse shark was first reported inside the Cayman Islands Yacht Club, West Bay, on 8 Feb., while the lemon shark was first reported in the North Sound, close to Rum Point on 6 March.

The DoE received reports of the nurse shark being sighted numerous times, yet never in the same location.

“DoE has not seen any of these sharks on our recent patrols to be able to attempt to free them. It is difficult to predict when either shark will be seen again. DoE continues its efforts yet the unpredictable presence of the individual sharks makes their capture difficult and delays its release,” she explained.

 

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Both sharks, she said, seemed to be able to move, but it was obvious that both had been impacted to some degree.

“Particularly the lemon shark seems to struggle. It might drag multiple ropes, floats and perhaps weights which would mean the animal requires a lot of energy to move and might die from stress and lacks the ability to hunt for food,” Kohler said.

She pleaded with the community to remove fishing gear from the water when finished and pick up litter “to prevent harming any wildlife, particularly endangered species such as sharks and turtles. The ingestion of foreign objects such as plastic or entanglement in ropes and lines likely lead to the animal to suffocate,” she said.

The DoE reports that entanglement in lost or discarded fishing lines, which are “nearly invisible underwater” is also one of the most severe threats to juvenile turtles in the Cayman Islands.

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The department has installed fishing line collection bins at almost 40 sites across the three islands, to “prevent entanglement”.

Line from the bins is collected by DoE staff and volunteers, cleaned, and sent overseas for recycling, where it is made into artificial fish habitats and tackle boxes, the DoE said.

Anyone wishing to report an animal in distress may phone DoE (949-8469) during business hours, email [email protected], or call DoE conservation officers (916-4271) for immediate response.