Angel Shark Project: Ireland
The recently launched Angel Shark Project: Ireland, led by the Irish Elasmobranch Group (IEG) aims to focus on one of Ireland's most threatened species, the Angelshark. Those involved in the project will work closely with fishers and communities to gather both current and historical Angelshark records, vital to help safeguard this species in Ireland. All records both past and present are invaluable towards helping us understand this rare and relatively poorly understood species so that we can identify the best ways to try and help the species recover to stable numbers once more.
The Angelshark (Squatina squatina), which is often locally called Monkfish, is a species of flat shark. The species was once common in Ireland's coastal waters, however due to its bottom dwelling lifestyle and its slow reproductive rate, there has been a great decline in their numbers, not only in Ireland, but all across its international range.
CSI of the Sea at the UCD Veterinary Hospital
In 2022, the IEG, in partnership with (opens in a new window)Project SIARC and (opens in a new window)Inland Fisheries Ireland hosted a CSI Of The Sea Angelshark examination at the UCD Veterinary Hospital (pictured, right).
Angelsharks are rarely encountered in Ireland, so when two were accidentally caught in the Irish Sea, the fisher who had never encountered the species before, contacted the IEG. Unfortunately, the two sharks were deceased when they arrived on the boat, but thanks to the fisher calling so quickly, it allowed for the arrangement of a dispensation from the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) to land the individuals for scientific purposes.
The event in UCD gave interested parties the opportunity to collect important data on one of the rarest species of shark in Europe. The dissections followed a protocol developed by the Angel Shark Project, and included taking a host of body measurements, stomach contents, and various tissue samples. These will be sent for contaminant, stable isotope, and genetic analysis, to help to shed light on the Angelshark's biology and ecology.
(Pictured, left: Angelshark x-ray taken at the event)
The event also offered the opportunity for groups and individuals from all sectors to come together to identify the next steps for Angelshark conservation and research in Ireland and as a result of these discussions, Angel Shark Project: Ireland has been established.
To learn more about the event held in UCD, please click on the following link:
(opens in a new window)https://irishelasmobranchgroup.com/2023/03/04/discovery-through-dissection/
You can visit the Angel Shark Project website here: (opens in a new window)www.angelsharkproject.com
More information on this project is also available on the Irish Elasmo Branch Group's website here: (opens in a new window)https://irishelasmobranchgroup.com/angel-sharks/