Dead Sharks and Fish Found on Welsh Shores
Hundreds of dead sharks and other fish have been discovered washed up on beaches in Wales.
Pauline Morris encountered a full net of dead fish while walking her dogs, Sonny, Saffy, and Sammy, at Pembrey Beach in Carmarthenshire on Saturday.
Pauline, who is from Aberdare in Rhondda Cynon Taf, described the sight as distressing and said it discouraged her from eating fish.
"It was horrible to see,"she said.
Similar Incidents Reported
Last week, another walker found a pile of dead marine life, believed to be catshark—also known as dogfish—at Saundersfoot in Pembrokeshire.
Pauline, a 65-year-old nurse at Ysbyty Cwm Cynon in Mountain Ash, characterized the washed-up fish as
"a shocking thing to see, because of the size of it."
"It was over a quite big area - with fish and sharks held in a big net,"she added.
"I don't know whether they came loose from a trawler or whether they were thrown [away] because it was not what they wanted."
Expert and Official Responses
Cliff Benson, founder of Sea Trust Wales, believes many of the fish were catshark. He reported the findings at Saundersfoot to Natural Resources Wales (NRW) after seeing an image posted on social media.
"It could have been from a trawler,"he said.
NRW stated that the dead fish at Pembrey Beach had not been reported to them but appeared to be discarded or part of a lost catch.
An NRW officer visited Saundersfoot beach but found no trace of the animals, as they had been washed back into the sea.
A spokesperson from NRW said:
"We investigated reports of dead fish at Saundersfoot and found no evidence of a pollution incident.
The fish appear to be dogfish, and this is likely linked to fishing by-catch being discarded at sea.
Tides have since cleared the majority from the shoreline and no wider environmental impacts were identified.
We have informed the local authority and relevant partners."
Local Authorities Contacted
Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire councils have been approached for comment regarding the incidents.
