Dead starry smooth-hound sharks wash up on Belgian coast
Several dead starry smooth-hound sharks washed up on the beach between Sint-Idesbald and Oostduinkerke on Friday morning. The animals will now be examined by the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences. It is possible that they became entangled in a fisherman’s net.
Walkers had already spotted around six sharks, each a metre long, in the tide line between Sint-Idesbald and Ster der Zee on Thursday evening. These are starry smooth-hound sharks, a species harmless to humans.
On Friday, a large number of these sharks washed ashore. The exact number is still unclear, but it is likely to be around twenty animals.
The municipality of Koksijde and scientific authorities will collect the animals. They will be examined further by the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences. The animals show no bite marks, but do have internal injuries. This may indicate that they became entangled in a fisherman’s net and were thrown back into the sea upon capture.
#FlandersNewsService | Dead starry smooth-hound sharks washed up on the Belgian coast © PHOTO HANDOUT - GEMEENTE KOKSIJDE
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