Two fishing crews have helped tag hundreds of small sharks in waters off the Isle of Man.

Manx Wildlife Trust’s (MWT) Small Shark Tagging project challenges local anglers with placing identification tags on small sharks and rays on a catch and release basis.

The scheme, held in partnership with the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture, will help provide experts with crucial data relating to Manx shark populations.

As part of the project, MWT’s Marine recently team presented the crews of the ‘Gemini’ of Port St Mary and ‘Casey-J’ of Peel with highly coveted ‘Top Tagger’ hats.

The hats were awarded to the anglers in recognition of their ‘fantastic’ efforts which has seen them tag hundreds of small sharks.

Dr Lara Howe, Marine officer at MWT said: ‘This important work helps us gain a better understanding of our small sharks, how many we have and where they spend their time in Manx waters.

DEFA Senior Marine Environment Officer, Peter Duncan, MWT Marine Officer, Lara Howe with Casey-J crew: Antony Collister, Nicholas Lewis, Dylan Lewis and Kingston Haselden and MWT Head of Conservation, David Bellamy
DEFA Senior Marine Environment Officer, Peter Duncan, MWT Marine Officer, Lara Howe with Casey-J crew: Antony Collister, Nicholas Lewis, Dylan Lewis and Kingston Haselden and MWT Head of Conservation, David Bellamy (Manx Wildlife Trust)

‘However, the project has shown us that these sharks are more mobile than we first thought, traveling as far as the south of Spain and Portugal, highlighting that protecting these species is a multi-jurisdictional challenge’

If you’re an experienced angler interested in training to tag sharks or if you find a shark with a tag, contact Dr Lara Howe– or [email protected] or call 01624 844432.