2008 CORNWALL EXPEDITION

Porbeagle shark expedition - Cornwall July 12 - 18 2008

L to R - Simon Spear, Rob Allen, Mike Sharland, Mark Boothman, Richard Peirce, Tom Sharland, David Green, Phil Britts.

PERSONNEL AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Organisers - Richard and Jacqui Peirce

Expedition leader - Richard Peirce

Skipper of Blue Fox - Phil Britts

Expedition members/volunteer researchers - Rob Allen, Mark Boothman David Green, Mike Sharland, Tom Sharland, Simon Spear.

Videographer - Simon Spear

SCS would like to thank:-

• - All those who took part
• - God for giving us sharks
• - Our hope that the data we are gathering will contribute towards meaningful, sensible and workable local conservation policies.

OBJECTIVES

- The building of a picture of the local area distribution of Porbeagle sharks at the time of the year of the expedition.

- Achieve additional still and moving images to add to the material gathered in 2007.

SITES

The same sites were investigated as in 2007 and for the same reasons will be kept confidential for the time being.

WEATHER

The planned days were July 12 - 18 inclusive. In the event, due to bad weather we lost three days and were only able to work the 13, 14, 15, and 16.

CHUMMING

Fresh and frozen (minced) mackerel were used simultaneously in chum bags and in bait tubes. The chumming materials were totally effective.

BOATS

Mantis (Bude based) was not available this year and so the Blue Fox (Padstow) was chartered for the expedition. The major downside to using a Padstow based boat was the time taken in steaming to the working areas.

DAILY REPORT

Several times sharks appeared at the floats and we tried as quietly as possible to get in the water and sneak out to them. On each occasion the sharks disappeared long before we reached the floats, we would then wait a few minutes and return to the boat, and the sharks would reappear at the floats!

Saturday July 12

The wind would have been against us for the whole steam from Padstow to near Bude. Wind speeds 15/20 mph. Cancelled.

Sunday July 13

We were not tagging sharks this year as we planned to concentrate on videography, photography, in water shark/human interaction and local area population mapping. At least three, maybe four Porbeagles around our bait tubes and one likely Soupfin (Tope) shark also around bait tube. In the same location two weeks before five or six Soupfin sharks on the surface had proved a nuisance to a Porbeagle angling boat which forced the boat to move!

Monday July 14

The same location as the previous day (13 June). Two or three individuals (Porbeagles) around the bait tubes. Water temperatures 16 degrees.

Tuesday July 15

Southern end of our sector. Chummed near Crackington Haven. Two drifts and no Porbeagles encountered.

Wednesday July 16

Strong northerlies made the steam to off Bude impossible so we worked near Trevose Head set up for Porbeagles and Soupfin sharks (Tope). One specimen (Soupfin) caught and return tagged.

Thursday July 17

Cancelled - bad weather.

Friday July 18

Cancelled - bad weather.

OTHER DATES/SITES WORKED BY OTHER BOATS

• - 01/06/08. Mantis was angling at the north end of our sector. No sharks were encountered which supports the picture we are building up.
• - 25/07/08. Lady Mary was angling at the northern end of our sector - no sharks.
• - 26/07/08. Blue Fox was angling at the northern end of our sector - no sharks.

Both the above results support the general picture emerging.

CONCLUSIONS/NOTES

The picture which is emerging supports what north Cornish shark angling skippers have thought for many years. We hope the next three years data gathering will further confirm this position.

SCS is keeping the results confidential so as not to provide a specific information guide for those wishing to catch Porbeagles. The results will be published (grey) at the end of our five year programme.

2009 PORBEAGLE EXPEDITION

This will take place between July 12 - 18 inclusive, and will include one day in the middle of the week which will cater for non expedition members.

A place on this day (15 July) will cost £97.50p and we anticipate six places will be available. The proceeds will be used by SCS to help fund the 2009 expedition.

TAGGING

No electronic tags were deployed directly by the expedition this year. However a tagging effort was made by another group two weeks earlier and reports indicate serious animal welfare considerations. SCS will soon be in discussion with the Home Office seeking reforms to the current rules governing the issuing of tagging licences. We will lobby for reforms which will make animal welfare a prime consideration and will seek that only those with demonstrable relevant field experience should be licenced to electronically tag sharks.