Basking shark back in Irish bay where they were hunted for decades | Good news

The basking shark is the second largest fish in the world after the whale shark. The animal can grow up to 10 meters long. Just like whales, the basking shark filters plankton from the water and is therefore harmless to humans.

The basking shark has been hunted off the coast of Ireland for years. The fins and liver of the fish fetched a lot of money. At its peak, hundreds of sharks were killed every season. This caused the species to rapidly decline in numbers. In 1984, only five basking sharks were caught and killed in Keem Bay.

Since then, measures have been taken, such as a hunting ban and a ban on the trade in basking shark fins. But while populations in the waters off New Zealand and the northwest coast of the United States still appear to be shrinking, basking sharks are again being sighted in abundance off Ireland and Scotland.

“The most basking sharks have been killed in Ireland and it is here that the species seems to have made the strongest comeback,” Alex McInturf told The Guardian. He heads an international group of scientists involved in research into the basking shark.

The group has no idea yet why the basking shark population seems to be recovering in Ireland and Scotland. This may have something to do with the fact that drift nets have been banned in the area for a number of years. Basking sharks and other species can become entangled in such nets.

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