As more people participate in the annual food fishery, encounters with sharks are becoming more commonplace.
More than a few people have been surprised to feel a tug on their line and instead of pulling up a codfish, they’ve come face-to-face with a shark.
Not to worry, says DFO research scientist Dr. Carolyn Miri. Most of the species that ply local waters don’t pose a danger to humans. In fact, she says, the two species participants in the seasonal food fishery are most likely to see — the blue shark and the porbeagle — are downright lazy.
(Blue Shark female snackin’ on a fish_DFO-NL Shark Team/ Ana Storch)
(Porbeagle PSAT tagged by DFO-NL Shark Team/ Trevor Maddigan)
They’re called cod-snacking sharks and they’re opportunists — always looking for an easy meal. That’s what makes them so visible to people handlining for cod, and that, says Miri, is where they’re asking people to help out with a bit of citizen science.
Safety first says Miri, but they’re asking people to take pictures if, when possible, note the date, location and size and tweet them at @DFO_NL with the hashtag #NLsharks, or you can email her directly at carolyn.miri@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.
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