The critically endangered shark has been spotted off the Welsh coast for the first time since 2021
Angel sharks are not considered dangerous to humans, but they can bite if provoked(Image: SWNS)
Underwater cameras have captured one of the world’s rarest sharks off the coast of Britain.
The Angelshark was spotted lurking in Cardigan Bay off the coast of Wales. Conservationists have described the sighting as “rare and exciting”.
The research team at The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales (WTSWW) said they spotted the shark using cameras that aimed to help them investigate dolphin diets and marine diversity in the area.
Dr Sarah Perry, Marine Conservation and Research Manager at WTSWW, said: “We were thrilled to record an Angelshark in Cardigan Bay, a rare and exciting encounter.
“Before this project started, Angelsharks hadn’t been captured on film in Cardigan Bay since 2021.
“This sighting comes at a crucial time, as the Senedd and UK Government discuss a ban on bottom trawling in Marine Protected Areas.”
Angel sharks are listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, with populations in decline as a result of fishing and habitat loss.
They are usually found in coastal areas in the east Atlantic and Mediterranean seas. They live on the seabed where they are well camouflaged, but this also makes them vulnerable to being caught in trawl nets.
Along with their slow reproduction rate, this puts them at a high risk of extinction.
The underwater cameras were deployed in a range of habitats and left to record for just one hour at each location.
Dr Perry said the discovery highlights how precious these underwater ecosystems are and why they need vital protection.
She added: “Our Dolphin Diet Detectives project, funded by the Welsh Government through the Nature Networks Fund, uses underwater cameras to reveal the incredible diversity of life on the seabed.
“These findings highlight the urgent need to protect these fragile habitats from damaging activities like bottom trawling.”
Marine Protected Areas, of which there are 139 in Wales, are not yet fully protected from destructive fishing activities such as bottom trawling, where huge nets and chains are dragged along the ocean floor.
The UK Government is currently running a consultation on the practice of bottom trawling in Marine Protected Areas.