Watch: Two critically endangered angel sharks tagged in Tralee Bay
Tagged Shark Angel A (psat) Marine Tag Tralee Male Archival With Bay By Satellite The The Up In Institute Pop
In a ground-breaking development, two rare angel sharks have been successfully tagged and released in Tralee Bay by scientists from the Marine Institute.
This marks the first time ever that an angel shark has been fitted with an electronic tag in Irish waters.
It is a "crucial step forward" in the preservation and study of one of the "most endangered shark species in Europe."
The tagged angel sharks were released close to their area of capture, north west of the Maharees peninsula, and they swam away strongly.
CLIMATE & SUSTAINABILITY HUB
Their tags will now log and transmit information for the next year, after which they will automatically detach from the fish.
Licenced tagger with the Marine Institute, Dr Ross O'Neill, worked with local fisherman Michael Peter Hennessy to successfully tag the male and female angel shark.
The tagging will help understand the behaviour, migration patterns, and habitat preferences of the elusive species, and it is hoped that more specimens will be similarly tagged in the coming months with the assistance of the local fishing industry.
Commenting on the significance of the achievement, Dr Ross O’Neill said: "This is a landmark moment for marine conservation in Ireland.
"The angel shark is an incredibly rare species making this recent encounter and successful tagging of two specimens in Tralee Bay all the more important.
"The tagging will allow us to track their movements and better understand how we can protect this species from further decline.
Angel shark, also known as the "Devil’s Banjo", are historically found in waters from North Africa to Norway.
However, catches of the species by commercial and recreational fishermen were common in the Tralee Bay area historically.
But reported numbers have declined dramatically since the late 1960s and today encounters are extremely rare.
Angel shark are now listed as “Critically Endangered” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Angel shark sightings also occurred near both Clew Bay, and Galway Bay last summer. This confirms that Ireland's west coast is a "critical refuge" for the creatures.
Tralee Bay also provides a habitat for several other rare and endangered sharks and their relatives including the undulate ray, sting ray, and the extremely rare white skate.