Angler catches 49lb cod, breaking the Scottish record: An angler has caught a 49lb cod from a boat off the coast of Muckle Flugga in the Shetland Islands, breaking the Scottish boat caught record. Sixty-year-old Tony Urwin from Amble in Northumberland made the catch from the charter boat Oberon. The previous boat caught Scottish record for cod was a fish of 46lb which was reportedly set over fifty years ago. Read more and see pictures on the BBC website by clicking here.
Strict list of requirements for anglers to fish from Admiralty Pier is announced: Anglers wanting to fish from Admiralty Pier in Dover will have to sit a security test, pass police vetting, pay for security guards, test negative for Covid twice and will not be permitted to bring knives and scissors with them, according to an article on Kent Online. The website states that the demands have been set out by the Port of Dover. Angling has been allowed on the pier since 1903 for members of Dover Sea Angling Association, but the list of new criteria – especially the immense cost of paying for security guards – will mean that it is all but impossible for angling to take place. Read more on this story by clicking here.
Bournemouth beach closed after “large animal” spotted in the sea: Swimmers were instructed to get out of the sea at Boscombe Beach this month after a large animal – which was never officially identified – was spotted in the water. The BBC reported that an RNLI lifeguard instructed everyone present to get out of the water due to a “large marine animal” being present and “significant movement” happening in the sea. An RNLI lifeboat then patrolled the beach but no further sightings of the creature could be made and people were allowed to re-enter the water half an hour later. Despite the animal never being identified many people on social media believed that it was a shark that was present and the references to a large marine animal had been used to avoid scaring the public. Read the BBC News report on this story here. In a linked story a Bournemouth kayak angler says “something big” pulled his fishing rod into the sea on the same day as the incident at Boscombe Beach. Darren Tapper, who has been fishing in the area for thirteen years was quoted by the BBC as saying: “I heard the rod go bang and I heard my reel spin… whatever it was literally yanked it straight out the back of the kayak by the lure … I can’t confirm what it was, I just know it was something big.” Read the full article on the BBC News site here.
Trade in shark fins to be banned in the UK: The UK government will ban the import and export of shark fins with Environment Minister Lord Goldsmith saying “shark finning is indescribably cruel and causes thousands of sharks to die terrible deaths. It is also unforgivably wasteful.” The practise of finning sharks – removing the fins of a living shark and discarding the body into the sea – has been banned in UK waters for some time. However, shark fins have still be allowed to be traded within the European Union, with many EU nations used as hubs to export shark fins to Asia where shark fin soup is seen as a delicacy. Following Brexit, Britain is now able to ban the importation and export of both detached shark fins and other shark products, with Lord Goldsmith going on to say: Our action will not only help boost shark numbers, it will send a clear message that we do not support an industry that is forcing many species to the brink of extinction.” Click here to read more on this story.
Two rare species spotted off UK coastline: A large fish which was believed to be a bluefin tuna was spotted off a Cornish beach earlier this month. Gregg Deakin filmed the tuna and shared the footage with Cornwall Live. The fish was believed to have been around two metres in length and came within ten metres of the beach at Porthcurno. Read more and see the footage by clicking here. Earlier this month a thresher shark was photographed jumping out of the water along the Welsh coastline. Local photographer Ken Barnett captured images of the shark at Strumble Head, Pembrokeshire which can be viewed on the Mirror website by clicking here.