A shark measuring over seven meters was accidentally caught in Port de la Selva.

BarcelonaThis Thursday, around two in the afternoon, a fishing boat mistakenly caught a basking shark on the high seas in Port de la Selva. This is one of the largest fish species in the Mediterranean and the second largest in the world. The shark, weighing more than three tons and measuring over seven meters long, became entangled in the boat's trammel nets and eventually died. The fishermen decided to return to the Empordà port, despite the fact that this decision would cost them their catch, their net, and even their fuel. They reached the port, dragging the weight of the shark so that marine professionals could study it.

With the help of various members of the Rural Agents, CRAM volunteers, and the fishermen themselves, they were able to tow the shark and untangle it to take samples from the animal, a protected and endangered species. Despite the shark's impressive size, the basking shark is harmless and feeds on zooplankton and small fish, filtered through its gills. In fact, this species often swims very close to the surface, precisely where the trammel nets are set, which is why it became entangled.

"We are very grateful that the fishermen on the boat made the effort to bring it to the port despite the difficulties involved in dragging an animal of this size with such a small boat," explains Silvia Giralt in conversation with ARA, one of the four CRAM oceanographers who traveled with them on Thursday. Giralt wanted to emphasize the importance of collaborations between fishermen and oceanographers: "These samples are essential to gaining insight into general marine health and also into the adaptation of these animals to warming waters and increased pollution in the sea."

The accidental hunting of sharks of this species is very rare: the last recorded incident took place in 2020 near Tarragona. The president of the Roses Fishermen's Association, Antoni Abad, stated in conversation with ARA that it is an "absolutely unusual and never-before-seen event." Although he claims it's common to see large sharks passing near fishing boats during the spring, Abad believes this shark "was disoriented, because it's not normal for it to come so close to boats and end up entangled in the nets."