Dead sharks found on Welsh beaches

Hundreds of dead sharks and other fish have been discovered on beaches in Wales.

Nurse Pauline Morris, 65, of Ysbyty Cwm Cynon in Mountain Ash, revealed she found a full web while walking her dogs on Carmarthenshire’s Pembrey Beach at the weekend, which Pauline admitted was “terrifying to see”.

Speaking to the BBC, he shared: “It was in a pretty big area; the fish and sharks were being kept in a big net.

“I don’t know if they escaped from a trawler or were thrown away [away] Because that’s not what they wanted.”

An officer from Natural Resources Wales (NRW) later visited the beach but did not see any dead sharks or other fish, suggesting they had been washed back out to sea.

A spokesman for NRW said: “We investigated reports of dead fish at Saundersfoot and found no evidence of a pollution incident.

“The fish look like sharks and this is probably linked to fishing being thrown overboard.

“Tides have since cleared the majority of the coastline and no wider environmental impact has been identified.

“We have informed local authorities and relevant partners.”

Cliff Benson, founder of Sea Trust Wales, suggested that most of the fish were catfish.

Benson reported the situation to North Rhine-Westphalia after coming across this story on social media.

“It may have come from a trawler,” he said.

The story came to the fore shortly after a photographer was bitten by a “shark or sea lion” during the finals of the World Surf League (WSL) competition in New Zealand.

Ed Sloane was treated for injuries to his ankle after the bite, but is currently in stable condition.

Renato Hickel, WSL vice president of tours and competition, said in the event broadcast: “This morning a member of the aquatic photography team suffered a wildlife injury.

“At this stage we’re not sure whether this was a shark or a sea lion. “The doctor assisting at the scene was inclined to think it was a sea lion rather than a shark.

“It’s still very scary.”