Richard Peirce Shark Conservation: Expeditions News and Developments

To many Britons the idea of predatory sharks roaming British seas would have the same credibility count as little green men on Mars. "Sharks in British Seas" will be a journey into the little known world of Britains' amazing sharks. Writer, broadcaster and shark conservationist Richard Peirce will take you on an incredible journey around Britain to introduce you to those with whom we share our seas.

Richard will ask 'who eats who?' as we take viewers on an action packed shark tour of the British Isles. We will show you some of the first ever footage of our own Great White shark (the Porbeagle), plus Blue Sharks, Soupfin/Tope sharks (how did they get their name?), Threshers and Spurdog sharks; from the pretty little 50cm long Smallspotted Catshark to the giant 10 metre plus Basking shark.

This film will ask the questions, get the answers and go where British shark film making has never gone before.

*The "Sharks in British Seas" project will be the subject of talks being given by Richard at the Birmingham Dive show at the NEC on November 1st and 2nd.

Due for release on DVD Spring 2009.

Filmed, Edited and Directed by Simon Spear

Presented, Script and Story by Richard Peirce

Produced by Simon Spear & Richard Peirce

Based on the book 'Sharks in British Seas' by Richard Peirce.

The first modern comprehensive guide to sharks in UK waters written by Richard Peirce is available now. Eleven fully illustrated narrative chapters and data sheets with illustrations on all our species make this book exceptional value. "Sharks in British Seas" is distributed by NHBS Environment Bookstore and can be bought from them, through Amazon, Waterstones, this website, and shops throughout Devon and Cornwall. Electronic or credit card payments have to go through Amazon or NHBS, but if you would like a signed or personalised copy you should buy from us and will have to pay by cheque. The cost is £9.99p + £2.15p p & p (total £12.14p). Books will be dispatched on receipt of cheques for £12.14p made payable to "Shark Cornwall", and if you wish the book personalised to you as well as signed please indicate this when ordering.

The unenlightened and inflexible attitude of Her Majesties Inland Revenue Service has dictated that at the end of 2008 “Richard Peirce Shark Conservation” will morph into the “Shark Conservation Society”. The Inland Revenue simply have no mechanisms that allow individuals to carry on non-profit activities for good causes.

I can spend my time and money fighting the corner for sharks, but as soon as someone gives me a donation to help the work, or a volunteer pays to share the costs of a research expedition then the tax boys start looking to see where a profit is being made! A sad state of affairs, but then there is much that is sad in our hopelessly over governed mess of a country.

In the last five years Richard Peirce Shark Conservation (RPSC) has chalked up a list of real shark awareness and conservation achievements. I may have been the driver and navigator but without all the guys on the bus RPSC would have achieved little – you know who you are, thank you. I am proud of what we have achieved, it has been real and we have made a difference. Its difficult to list achievements without it sounding like trumpet blowing or self congratulation. Neither is intended and if the following comes across that way I apologise.

Here’s what our small group (RPSC) has achieved.

2003. Cornwall Shark Search Expedition. The first organised and planned extensive and intensive chumming off North Cornwall. The expedition generated more media interest in British sharks than any previous event. The media interest was used to raise awareness of the existence of British sharks and to push the need for effective conservation measures. Few sharks were encountered and my phrase “It was like going to the game park and finding that someone had killed all the animals” was widely quoted across the media.

2005. The Adriatic Shark Search Expedition resulted in:-

• the production and release across Europe (France and German speaking) of the film “Searching for the White Shark in the Mediterranean”. This film was widely hailed by many, including the Shark Alliance as a powerful conservation film.

• I co-wrote and published, with Dr Alen Soldo, a scientific paper on Adriatic Blue Shark abundance, or actually the lack of it. This paper has been often quoted and referred to.

• Our expedition indicated no abundance of White Sharks and this information was part of the ammunition used by Alen Soldo to get the White Shark protected in Croatian waters.

2006. Shark Cornwall:-

• We launched the pilot project which showed that Blue Shark cage diving was not only possible in British waters but there was huge public interest. There were 72 places on the pilot project and we had over 2000 applicants.

• Massive media coverage surrounded the start of UK cage diving and again we used this to achieve increased public awareness, and to get the conservation message across.

2007. Porbeagle Expedition:-

• I deployed the first satellite tags on Porbeagles on this side of the Atlantic.
• We got the first free swimming underwater footage of Porbeagles.
• The first underwater still images of free swimming Porbeagles.
• I broke the story of the longlining near Lundy of 60/90 Porbeagle Sharks (Times, Western Morning News, Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph, radio and TV). The public not only heard of the existence of this wonderful shark they also learnt how vulnerable it is.
• The film Porbeagles in Peril (Simon Spear – Richard Peirce) was made about the expedition and was widely hailed as successfully putting across a potent conservation message. The film has now started winning awards.

Radio 4. In January I presented the 5 part series “Shark Hunt” on Radio 4.

Shark Cornwall (Cage Diving). Skippers from around Cornwall started to show interest in taking this eco-tourism opportunity forward. We ran days on two boats out of Bude and Padstow, and were fully booked all summer with a waiting list.

2008.

• Kuwait shark research expedition (April)
• Adriatic shark research expedition (June)
• Publication of “Sharks in British Seas” (June)
• Second year of Porbeagle expedition (July)
• Shark Cornwall hands over to Cornish skippers (July, August & September).
• Shooting starts on Richard Peirce/Simon Spear British shark films.

We’ve done a bit, we need to do a lot more, we’re just getting started. The “Shark Conservation Society” (SCS) is the vehicle to take it forward. Join SCS and take part in real measurable conservation, and research initiatives. Direct action e.g. Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd, has its place. Political campaigning the Shark Trust, the Shark Alliance, and others are essential to ensure effective legislation. I suppose SCS will sit somewhere in the middle, but wherever we sit we are achieving results, and need your help to achieve more.

We will not be looking for “grant type” funding we will generate our own cash to use, without wastage, on our projects. Membership, an online shop, advertising from shark eco-tourist operators, public speaking, and the sale of films and images will generate the money to keep us on the water and the plight of sharks in the public eye.

Annual membership fees will be modest, probably £10/£15 and only SCS members will be eligible to apply for places on expeditions. The Society will have an annual meeting open to all members, which will be on the same weekend as the Birmingham Dive Show. SCS will be guided and run by a committee which will meet before the launch of the Society, to draw up the aims and rules which will govern our operation; members will receive a bi-annual electronic newsletter which will keep them abreast of what their society is achieving. THE WORD IS “ACHIEVING”, THE DAY WE STOP DOING THAT WE WILL ALL GO HOME.

Keep visiting this section of the website for news on the development of SCS.
Thank you for your interest.

LATE JUNE/EARLY JULY 2007 – SOUND OF HARRIS – LITTLE MINCH

Movie footage taken in the Sound of Harris on a mobile phone, possibly showing a shark attacking a seal, was sent to the Marine Conservation Society for comment in September 2007. MCS passed the footage to the Shark Trust. I have examined the footage as has Ian Fergusson, Jeremy Stafford-Deitsch, Leonard Compagno, Henry Mollet and Chris Fallows. I have also interviewed one of the eyewitnesses to the event. Unfortunately the footage is not clear enough to enable a 100% conclusive identification.

Fergusson and Compagno both feel that the percentage likelihood is 60% in favour of the shark being a White shark and 40% of it being a Shortfin Mako. Henry Mollet, Chris Fallows and Jeremy Stafford-Deitsch felt it could be either but favoured a Shortfin Mako. My own view would not favour either species on the basis of the footage as annoyingly there are aspects which point both ways. However after taking into account the witness statement I feel the shark is more likely to be a Shortfin Mako or possibly a Porbeagle.

Warren Woodstead (name changed) was at sea with two friends. Their attention was attracted by extensive splashing in the water 20 yards away. They went to investigate the incident and discovered a seal thrashing about on the surface. They were in a deep channel and could see the seal apparently being tossed about but didn’t really see the shark other than occasional glimpses of a possible fin. The video seems to show blood but Warren doesn’t remember seeing blood at the time. He later realised the possible presence of blood when watching his friend’s footage.

Warren’s friend, Dan (name changed) recorded the incident on his mobile phone. The activity stopped and nothing happened for about half a minute and then a fin broke the surface between 20 and 30 feet away. They went to investigate as the shark swam away from them and then the shark turned and swum towards the boat, may have made contact with the boat, swam under the boat and disappeared. There was no sign of the seal, or any seal remains which may indicate the animal had survived the attack and escaped, if indeed it was an attack.

Warren estimated the length of the shark at 3 metres or just over, and recalls a stout (fat) body with a dark grey towards black dorsal (top) side. No gills were noticed, Warren did not get a view of the shark’s underside and he does not remember seeing the shark’s eyes.

The size of the seal is estimated at 3-4 foot and Warren’s initial impression was not of an animal being attacked but of animals playing or maybe feeding.

A dorsal fin appearing from the left of the screen. The fin appears to have a slightly rounded apex with a straight down trailing edge and a curved forward edge. The dorsal shape at this stage certainly is more representative of a White shark than that of a Shortfin Mako, however as the shark continues to move the footage becomes confusing as at some angles the apex of the dorsal appears more rounded than in others. A caudal fin then comes into view and the shark at this stage is swimming directly away from the photographer still moving across the screen from left to right. There is still nothing conclusive and the next good “side on” dorsal view shows a fin with a more rounded than pointed apex, the shark keeps swimming towards the right, disappears, then a caudal fin reappears followed by the dorsal. The shark then turns around and starts swimming from the right to the left on an interception track with the boat. The next good “side on” of the dorsal once again seems to say White shark with a more pointed apex, and a straight down, perhaps even slightly concave, trailing edge. The shark is swimming quite fast and possibly displaying excited behaviour. It should be noted that the seal has by now disappeared and so there is a possibility that the presence of seals below the water and out of sight is influencing the shark’s behaviour. The shark then swims right up to the vessel, may make contact with the hull, before swimming underneath the boat, which is the end of the sequence.

A compelling incident but sadly once again not quite enough to make a positive identification. The shark could have been a White shark but equally it could have been a Shortfin Mako or possibly a Porbeagle. It is interesting to note however that potential White shark incidents which retain credibility after investigation are clustered in two areas – North Cornwall and the Western Isles (the Minch, Little Minch). There are only two possible White shark incidents outside these areas that I am aware of, which are the Pentland Firth net capture and escape in 2004, and a possible spy hopping off Looe in the 1970’s.

KUWAIT EXPEDITION

This expedition remains on track and is expected to go ahead on time. The only remaining hurdles are organisational issues which we do not expect to present problems. Volunteers will arrive on April 10th and leave on April 26th and should now start thinking about whether they want to come for part or all of the expedition and if only a part, then which part. We hope these dates can now be regarded as final and look forward to hearing from everybody who is interested.

MAY 2008 ADRIATIC EXPEDITION

This expedition is now going ahead between May 31st and June 8th 2008 and details appear in the "Future Expeditions" section of this website.

PORBEAGLE SHARK CATCHES

Our Porbeagle expedition finished on Friday July 20th and the following week we heard of a longliner having caught 60 sharks near Lundy Island. We were hugely relieved that none of the sharks we had satellite tagged on the expedition were among this catch. Nevertheless this relief was tempered by our sadness that as soon as populations start to recover they get seriously depleted again. The Times and the Western Morning News both carried full page accounts of this unfortunate incident and local radio stations also took a keen interest. Our experience on the expedition showed that the sharks in this area were schooling on very much a mixed sex basis however there is no doubt that the majority were females - probably 60% - 70%.

During the week August 6th - 11th Shark Cornwall was mostly working out of Padstow and so did not have an eye on our Porbeagle areas, however on August 11th we had a confirmed report that the same longliner which had been responsible for the Lundy catch was fishing the areas in which the expedition had worked. Because we had been in Padstow for the previous few days we do not know whether the 11th was the first day of this activity or the boat had been there previously during the week. What is sure is that many of the sharks that indicated a reasonable local population during our expedition will have now been caught and that population seriously depleted.

JULY 2007 PORBEAGLE EXPEDITION

This expedition was highly successful and a full report appears in the relevant "Expeditions" section of this website.

SUN NEWSPAPER JULY 2007 WHITE SHARK SCARE

On Thursday July 26th Dr Oliver Crimmen was shown a clip of amateur video by the Sun newspaper. The clip was taken on a video cam by a visiting holiday maker from Rotherham called Nick Fletcher holidaying in St. Ives Cornwall. The film showed a small pod of Common Dolphins making their way along the coast and at the end of the sequence a marine animal is clearly seen to breach. Dr. Crimmen was quoted as saying “It’s definitely predatory and definitely big. I can’t rule out a Great White.

I was asked to comment and confirm the identity of the creature. This I could not do as the film was not clear enough. All that could be identified for sure was an 8-12 foot animal doing a half to three quarters breach displaying a white ventral (belly) side. Given the close presence of dolphins this species must come into the reckoning as must Basking, Porbeagle, and Mako sharks. If, as I do, you believe that White sharks are occasional vagrant visitors to our shores then of course these cannot be ruled out as Dr. Crimmen said. However saying they can’t be ruled out is a long way from confirming that the image was indeed a Great White shark which is what the Sun inferred I had done.

This sparked an extraordinary media shark frenzy which the Sun managed to string out for a further eight days with it being on the Sun front pages for five days, and all the other nationals and many regional papers joining in. Monday and Tuesday’s Sun(s) carried front page pictures of Basking sharks fins slicing through the waters off St. Ives with various “experts” identifying the dorsal fins as belonging to Great Whites. By Thursday the Newquay Guardian’s front page carried a picture of a White shark taken off Towan Head in Newquay. This was the first picture of a White shark to appear but no-one was interested and various reports were hinting at doubts over where the photo was taken.

The photo has now been exposed as a hoax.

By the end of the week a real scare story had emerged in the form of a foot and mouth disease outbreak in Surrey, and the people of St. Ives were, understandably, cashing in. Shark spotting boat trips were packed with excited tourists with virtually everything that could float taking to the sea to look for the sharks. Cafes had maps of St. Ives Bay on their walls with all the sightings marked. Shark ice creams, T-shirts and even shark shaped pasties were produced to carry on the fun and make a few pounds.

Nick Fletcher’s original film clip had been forgotten by the time the story died, and while this was probably the most intense and long running of the press Great White stories the original evidence was by no means compelling.

The question remains – do Great White sharks ever occur in British seas? For me the answer is “probably yes”, however there is still no hard evidence, and due to the enormous depletion rates the species has suffered (circa 80%) the chances are slim and getting slimmer.

SHARK FIN POACHERS WILL BE SHOT

Daily Telegraph December 2006 - "The Royal Australian Navy has been given permission to shoot at pirate fishing boats plundering the country's rich tropical waters.
Warships and customs patrol boats operating off Australia's north coast have captured a record 357 illegal fishing boats this year, most of them Indonesian vessels hunting sharks for their fins.
An armada of pirate fishing boats are poaching sharks, reef fish, and other species in a swathe of Australian territorial waters from Queensland to Western Australia".

A bit tough perhaps but if they carry this out it will work and extinct is pretty tough aswell.

The North coast success has encouraged us to run a much larger project in summer 2007 and thereafter we hope that Cornish skippers will follow our lead and carry on with this project. Please visit the Shark Cornwall page if you are interested in booking for 2007.

GREAT WHITES GREAT BRITAIN?

This BBC show into which I had considerable input was broadcast on BBC1 at the end of July 2006. I was delighted that the subject was treated sensibly and as a result even the tabloid press weren’t able to get any sensational headlines out of it.

However as the provider of much of the anecdotal evidence used I was disappointed at the use of this evidence. The BBC failed to put the incidents in the right chronological order and even in one noticeable case failed to connect incidents which when connected added up to far more compelling evidence. All the evidence was anecdotal so nothing can still be proved either way, but the case would have appeared much stronger had the evidence been used and interpreted correctly.

NORTH UIST, WEDNESDAY JULY 27th 2005

Modern languages school teacher Philip Harding, his teacher colleague Alan, and Alan’s two teenage children were trolling for pollock two miles south of Locheport at Aignish Point on the east coast of North Uist. Philip had cut the engine and was setting up rods for mackerel and pollock A very large shark came up vertically beside the boat and had a good look at Philip and the other three before slowly diving and disappearing. The features noticed were

- Dark grey/bronzy dorsal side.

- Pure white ventral side, so white that for a split second Philip thought the animal was an Orca before he realised it was a shark.

- The animal turned sideways and at one stage was parallel to the boat and both Philip, Alan, and the youngsters, all agree the shark was the length of the boat – 16 foot.

- The water was clear (visibility good) and it was a calm sunny day.

- Philip remarks the animal had a very large girth and a solid (non floppy) pointed triangular dorsal fin

- Philip is very familiar with basking sharks and are both quite adamant this was not a basking shark. The next day just to be sure Philip went to see a freshly dead basking shark caught in a net off Lochmaddy and was able to confirm his initial impression that the morphology of the two sharks was markedly different in many respects.

- The shark had a good look at Philip and Alan and the eye was clearly visible, at no time did the head or dorsal fin break the surface however the caudal fin briefly broke the surface when the shark left.

Philip is certain that the animal he encountered was a white shark and whilst he did not share this opinion with his boating colleagues on the day because he did not wish to alarm the youngsters, they have subsequently discussed the encounter and are all in agreement with Philip’s opinion. Common and Grey seals are abundant in this area and on the west of North Uist Monach Island has what is thought to be the largest seal colony in Europe.

* Philip has kindly offered his boat for our planned expedition to the Western Isles this autumn. Anyone interested in joining this expedition should keep an eye on our “Future Expeditions” page. Philip’s boat would be an ideal support boat for our main larger vessel.

FIRST PROOF OF BRITISH GREAT WHITE???

The photograph below was taken by a fisherman off the N.E. Coast of mainland Scotland in midwinter 2004/05. The photo was taken on a digital camera and sadly this non conclusive image is the only one. The witness does not wish to be identified but I have interviewed him personally and am aware of all the circumstances involved in this encounter: The witness describes

- An 18 foot animal.
- He was cutting it free when it freed itself.
- The shark had teeth.
- The shark was “attacking” other fish in the net.
- The witness is familiar with porbeagles and basking sharks and says it was neither of these species.

From the above data and the photograph I believe we can rule out it having been a basking shark, the overall size as reported and the dorsal fin exclude porbeagle, and the colour and size probably also excludes shortfin mako. I have shown the image to recognised experts and authorities in the UK, South Africa, and Australia, who all agree with me and state that had this image come from South Africa, Australia, or California, it would be most likely be that of a Great White Shark.

The above report is one of 67 shark sightings in UK waters that I have investigated. Out of the total of 67 there are five incidents which remain credible following thorough investigation, the other 62 can be dismissed.

The above photos were taken in Cochin fish market on 3 consecutive days in late October 05. This market operates from dawn till dusk seven days a week with fish arriving and being sold on a continual basis. Cochin is only one of dozens of such markets operating along the Kerala coast.

Some years ago the Indian Government introduced a blanket catch ban on sharks which had to be abandoned due to it being impractical and unenforceable. Ever since the search has been on for new legislation which would be practical, enforceable, and therefore effective. I will soon be joining with Reefwatch (an Indian NGO), the Shark Trust, Laca Dives, and others to lobby for a ban on landing and selling obvious juveniles. Such a ban would be easy to enforce and should result in very young animals being returned to the sea with a percentage surviving. Please keep an eye on this space to see how you can help with this lobbying process.

SHARK TRUST

At the 2007 Shark Trust AGM I was delighted to be offered another year as Chairman giving me further opportunities to contribute to this important charity.

Next summer 2008 Richard and John Boyle (Shark Bay Films) will be producing the first ever British Shark film featuring the Porbeagle, the Blue, Mako, Thresher, Soupfin sharks and the Common Skate.

On July 4th last year Doctor Simon Greenstreet and his wife Wendy, together with two others, were diving off a 5.4 metre rib at the western edge of the Summer Isles near Ullapool. Simon and Wendy had finished their dive and the next pair were kitting up when a large fin was noticed some 30/40 metres away. The initial and obvious thought was that it was a basking shark and the second pair prepared to get in the water and swim with the animal. As soon as Simon started his engine the shark moved to come and investigate and by the time it reached them they realised it was not a basking shark.

At 15 metres distance from the boat the size had become apparent and both dorsal and caudal fins were at times visible. The shark swam right along the side of the boat making an accurate estimation of length possible and all four on board judged it to be over 5 metres. A clearly defined white ventral side was noticeable with a light grey dorsal side and a large solid broad based triangular dorsal fin. The shark had much smaller gills than a basker without large gill rakers and all four on board have seen many basking sharks and are adamant this was not a basker.

Whilst Simon Greenstreet is not a shark marine biologist he is a trained scientist and his description was detailed and fits that of a white shark. Many times when I have been in South Africa and we have seen a white shark which looked as if it was going to pass us by we have started our engine to try to provoke a visit. It doesn’t always work but it often does and the pro-active investigative behaviour exhibited by this shark is something I have seen many times with great whites.

In December 2003 George Brown a 52 year old professional diver with over 25 years experience was inspecting the steel piles holding up the ferry pier at Uig on the Isle of Skye. At 2.30 in the afternoon he was inspecting one of the final piles on the sea side in about 6 metres of water and whilst it was still full light the visibility was not good. He was concentrating on his inspection and suddenly became conscious of significant movement above him and to his right as a large shark, he estimates over 4 metres, swam about 2 metres above him crossing from his right to left before disappearing.

George has seen many basking sharks and whilst he only saw this shark swimming away (he did not clearly see the head) he feels the colour and general morphology did not fit a basking shark. The temperature was about 8 degrees which is just within the known tolerance for great whites - was this Simon Greenstreet’s shark? - we will never know and the likelihood is it was a large porbeagle or a basker but it makes fascinating speculation.

Of the 3 possible GWS encounters I had to investigate I was most excited about one in 1999 when a large shark had been video filmed in the water with two women snorkelling in a bay on the west coast of Lewes. Those involved felt there was good reason to believe that this wasn’t a basking shark. I have examined the film and I am afraid that it was a young basker filter feeding apparently oblivious to the nearby presence of the two women. Disappointing, but I live in hope!