(WFSB) – Sandbar sharks are turning up in Long Island Sound in growing numbers this summer, and local fishermen are noticing.<\/p>\n
The species, also known as brown sharks, are drawn to warm water and striped bass \u2014 a combination that\u2019s putting them in direct contact with anglers across the region.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese sandbar sharks right now seem to be everywhere,\u201d said Jon Dodd, executive director of the Atlantic Shark Institute.<\/p>\n
Ryan Tierney, who livestreams his fishing trips on his YouTube channel Salt Works Bay, had a close encounter while out on his kayak. \u201cIt came up, ripped the fish off the line, bumped the kayak, shook me up a little bit,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Tierney targets striped bass \u2014 the same fish sandbar sharks are after. He\u2019s not alone in losing his catch.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a kid, we\u2019d have one fish get eaten by a shark a year,\u201d said Michael Wadsworth, a fourth-generation fisherman who runs Lady Jo Fishing Charters. \u201cThis year, it\u2019s every trip.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wadsworth said he\u2019s seeing the sharks in Niantic Bay.<\/p>\n
\u201cSeven, 8-foot sharks. Big sharks for in here. Are they people eaters? No, but still scary if they swim between your legs,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Dodd said the uptick isn\u2019t fully understood, but conditions appear to be favorable. \u201cWe\u2019re not exactly sure, but we know the water temperatures are ideal for these sharks, and the striped bass numbers are very healthy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Dodd added that sandbar shark attacks on humans are very rare and that the species prefers fish. He also noted other shark species are appearing in the Sound, describing the habitat as ideal. \u201cIt loves river mouths, it loves muddy water \u2014 this is their environment,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Sandbar sharks are a protected species. Fishermen cannot target them.<\/p>\n
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