Protecting Marine Wildlife for the Future

Basking shark
hotspots in the UK
Results from The Wildlife Trusts
basking shark survey
Basking Shark Report ARTWORK.ind1 1 19/11/2008 16:50:16
Cornwall
Devon
Plymouth
Falmouth
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Lands
End
Area 2:
Plymouth to Dodman
Point (including
Eddystone Lighthouse)
Area 3:
Dodman Point to
St. Anthonys
Lighthouse
Area 4:
St. Anthonys
Lighthouse to
Lizard Point
Area 5:
Lizard Point to
the Runnelstone
Buoy
Area 6:
West of
Runnelstone
Buoy
(including
Scilly)
Area 7:
North of Runnelstone
Buoy and North
Cornwall
Area 8:
North Devon and
Lundy Island
N
S
E W
Scale: miles
0 10 20
Key
Boundary between adjacent survey areas
The Wildlife Trusts basking shark survey
Survey areas 1999-2004
Area 1:
East of
Plymouth
Basking Shark Report ARTWORK.ind2 2 19/11/2008 16:50:18
Summary
The basking shark is the ultimate gentle giant a
seven-tonne shark that cruises the oceans in search
of its microscopic prey. At 11 metres long, this
plankton-eater is the worlds second biggest fsh.
Looming out of the blue, mouth agape, the basking
shark is surely one of the most awe-inspiring sights
in the entire animal kingdom.
More than 80,000 basking sharks were slaughtered
in the north-east Atlantic in the 20th century, and
numbers are thought to have declined by 95% or
more from historic levels. Rare, elusive and diffcult
to study, it is only in recent years that this giant has
begun to give up its secrets.
Between 1999 and 2007, The Wildlife Trusts
basking shark survey counted, observed and
photographed sharks off the western coasts of the
UK. The largest boat-based study of its kind, the
survey revealed basking shark hotspots off the
South West of England, where sharks gather for
feeding and courtship. They may also visit these
sites to give birth to their young. Further hotspots
were revealed in Northern Ireland and Scotland.
The study highlighted a remarkable change in shark
distribution over the study period, with a marked
decline in sightings in the South West of England,
and an increase off Scotland.
This summary focuses primarily on the English
hotspots, as well as considering shark ecology
and the conservation issues relevant to basking
sharks throughout UK seas. A more detailed report
of the English survey results is available at www.
naturalengland.org.uk. A report on the Scottish
hotspots is due in 2009.
Identifying hotspots helps us understand basking
shark ecology, and may be critical to protecting the
species. Congregating at the surface in these sites,
basking sharks may be especially vulnerable to
collisions with boats, entanglement in fshing gear
and other threats. As such, protection of hotspots
might make a signifcant contribution to conserving
basking sharks in UK waters.
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Basking Shark Report ARTWORK.ind3 3 19/11/2008 16:50:29
Basking shark ecology
Using its highly developed senses, the shark
forages over enormous distances, seeking out the
densest patches of plankton, such as at tidal fronts
that develop close to headlands. These fronts can
be caused by abrupt differences in temperature,
strong tidal fows and sudden variations in seabed
depth. The high productivity of these frontal areas
is an important element of the coastal food chain,
supporting fsh, seabirds and marine mammals, as
well as basking sharks.
Under most conditions, zooplankton remain in
deeper water in the daytime, rising to the surface by
night. Foraging sharks follow this behaviour, making
them very hard to observe. However, where fronts
occur, zooplankton reverse their daily migration,
occurring at the surface in daylight and so do the
sharks.
Recent research has revealed that basking sharks
are 60 times more likely to be seen at the surface in
a frontal area than in a non-frontal area. This may
have implications for their conservation, as sharks
at the surface may be much more vulnerable to
certain threats.
Basking sharks in peril
During early spring and summer, warm water
from the Atlantic pushes into coastal waters on
the western coasts of the UK. Where this warm
water meets cooler seas inshore, upward currents
lift nutrients from the depths to the surface. Here,
microscopic plants (known as phytoplankton) are
fertilised by the increase in nutrients, causing
a population explosion a plankton bloom. In
some years, the bloom is so immense that it turns
the seas into a milky slick, visible from space.
The bloom, in turn, feeds an explosion of tiny
animals (known as zooplankton), which prey on
the phytoplankton. Amongst the most numerous
animals are a group of shrimp-like crustaceans
called copepods and these are the basking
sharks favourite food.
Before the 19th century, basking sharks were
abundant along the western coasts of the UK
in spring and summer. They were also found in
the North Sea. Valued for their liver oil (used in
lamps and as a lubricant), sharks were hunted
with harpoons during the 18th, 19th and early 20th
centuries, and perhaps earlier, taking a few hundred
sharks per year. In the second half of the 20th
century, hunting pressure increased. Norwegian,
Irish and UK vessels killed thousands of animals
each year. Records show that more than 80,000
basking sharks were killed in the north-east Atlantic
during this period.
Basking sharks are slow-growing, late to reach
sexual maturity (at 12-20 years) and produce few
young (bearing fve or six pups for a gestation of
one to three years). This makes them extremely
vulnerable to over-exploitation. Even when threats
are removed, numbers take a very long time to
recover. The basking shark population in the north-
east Atlantic is estimated to have declined by more
than 95% from historic levels.
No more than a few hundred sharks remain to visit
UK waters each summer, and sightings are mainly
restricted to the South West of England (especially
Cornwall), the Isle of Man and the west coast of
Scotland. The last UK basking shark fshery closed
in 1995, and the species has been legally protected
in the UK since 1999. However, many sharks are
thought to die as a result of injuries inficted, while
feeding at the surface, from collisions with boats.
Others become entangled in fshing nets and ropes.
To date, it has been diffcult to identify practical
measures to address these threats and ensure the
survival and recovery of basking sharks in UK seas.
Basking shark hunt, Scotland, 1770.
Image by kind permission of Professor Callum Roberts.
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The Wildlife Trusts
basking shark survey
The Wildlife Trusts basking shark survey ran from
1999 to 2007, aboard the yacht Forever Changes,
skippered by survey leader and basking shark
expert Colin Speedie.
The survey was conducted in two phases, surveying
the western English Channel for:
l one week per month in May, June, July and
August from 1999-2001
l eight weeks during May and June from 2002-
2004.
In July, between 2002 and 2004, Forever Changes
travelled up through the Irish Sea, conducting
the frst ever line transect survey work along
the coastline of Northern Ireland. In August and
September, from 2002-2005, the team continued
north to survey the Clyde Sea and the Sea of the
Hebrides. The survey vessel spent the whole of
the 2006 season in the waters of west Scotland,
working on hotspots in that area as well as photo-
identifcation studies. In 2007, the survey returned
south to work in the English Channel but, due to
diffcult weather conditions, very few sharks were
recorded.
Using standardised survey methods, the crew
watched for sharks whilst sailing in straight lines
transects across the survey area. Transects
were surveyed in a range of inshore and offshore
locations, to determine the presence of key sites
hotspots for the basking shark within the larger
area. Records were made of shark numbers, size
and behaviour, along with a photographic record to
identify individual sharks.
Volunteer crews were recruited from The
Wildlife Trusts and Earthwatch Institute (Europe)
membership to help with the surveys. All volunteers
received full training in all aspects of appropriate
survey technique, from observation procedures to
data gathering and recording.
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Basking Shark Report ARTWORK.ind5 5 19/11/2008 16:50:39
Results: English hotspots
In order to establish the distribution of basking
sharks across the survey region, it was split into
eight separate areas. To avoid bias, the frequency
of shark sightings was divided by the amount of
survey effort. This provides a Sharks Per Unit Effort
value (SPUE), which allows the areas with highest
SPUE values hotspots to be identifed.
1999-2001 surveys
A total of 141 sharks were sighted on transect over
206 hours of observation. A high average SPUE
value was established over the three years, largely
due to a high peak in 1999.
Basking shark sightings 1999-2001
Year Hours
observed
No. of
sharks
SPUE
1999 46 102 2.22h-1
2000 71 11 0.15h-1
2001 89 28 0.32h-1
Total 206 141 0.68h-1
Sharks were only recorded in three of the eight
survey areas on transect, with a distinct bias
towards the areas west of Lizard Point.
Spatial distribution of shark sightings
1999-2001
Year Area 4 Area 5 Area 6
1999 0 72 30
2000 0 11 0
2001 1 27 0
Total 1 110 (78%) 30 (21%)
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Basking Shark Report ARTWORK.ind6 6 19/11/2008 16:50:47
2002-2004 surveys
A total of 56 sharks were recorded by the second
survey. During this period, there was a large-scale
shift in the distribution of surface-sighted sharks.
In the latter years, far fewer sharks were observed
in English waters, and many more sharks were
observed in Scottish waters, especially in the Sea of
the Hebrides.
Although the overall number of shark sightings
declined during this period, the western sections of
the English Channel survey area continued to be
important.

Sharks and survey hours by area to calculate SPUE, 2002-2004
Area Sharks Hours SPUE h-1 Geographical area
1 0 32.17 0.000 East of Plymouth
2 3 123.67 0.024 Plymouth to Dodman Point (incl. Eddystone Lighthouse)
3 0 60.98 0.000 Dodman Point to St. Anthonys Lighthouse
4 29 175.5 0.165 St Anthonys Lighthouse to Lizard Point
5 15 31.2 0.481 Lizard Point to Runnelstone Buoy
6 4 38.87 0.103 West of Runnelstone (incl. Scilly)
7 5 8.33 0.600 North of Runnelstone and North Cornwall
8 0 6.65 0.000 North Devon coast and Lundy
2006-7 surveys
During the 2006 season, the project recorded 303 sharks, the most ever recorded in a season. In 2007,
there was diffcult weather in Cornwall in the early part of the season, and it was a poor year for surface-
sighted sharks in the region.
Basking shark distribution 2002-2004
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
2002 2003 2004
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SW England Northern Ireland West Scotland
Sharks per unit effort, SW England 2002-2004
Area 1 Area 2 Area 3 Area 4 Area 5 Area 6 Area 7 Area 8
0.000
0.100
0.200
0.300
0.400
0.500
0.600
0.700
0.600
0.600
0.600
0.600
0.600
0.000 0.000 0.000
Basking Shark Report ARTWORK.ind7 7 19/11/2008 16:50:48
0 3.6
The Lizard
peninsula
Lands End
peninsula
Lands End
Penzance
Pendeen Point
St Ives
Shark hotspots
Throughout the survey period, one area stood out
clearly as a shark hotspot: Area 5, from Lizard Point
to the Runnelstone Buoy. From 1999-2001, 78% of
all sightings were made in this area, and from 2002-
2004 it generated a SPUE value of 0.481 sharks per
hour.
Area 4, from St Anthonys Lighthouse to Lizard
Point, was not a strong site in the frst three years,
but in the latter period was the next most consistent
area, with 0.165 sharks per hour. Fronts are known
to develop in both Areas 4 and 5, owing to their
strong tidal streams and uneven bottom topography.
Area 6, West of the Runnelstone including Scilly,
also generated a good sightings record. In 1999-
2001, 21% of sightings were recorded there, and
from 2002-4 it produced a SPUE value of 0.103
sharks per hour. Each of these three areas might be
considered a basking shark hotspot. Although Area
7, north of the Runnelstone and north Cornwall,
produced the highest SPUE value from 2002-2004,
all the sightings were recorded on a single survey
day in 2002. As such, there is insuffcient data to
confrm it as a hotspot.
Shift in distribution
The observed shift in the distribution of sightings is
diffcult to interpret at this time. In the later years,
there were more sightings off Scotland and fewer off
the South West of England. Shark sightings around
the UK seem to vary in a cyclical manner, related to
changes in large-scale climatic events which affect
the distribution of plankton.
However, rising sea temperatures may also be
having an effect on the timing and distribution of
plankton, as cold water species move further north
and warmer water species move in from the South.
Basking sharks are effcient foragers, though, and
will travel over large distances to fnd their prey. As
such, they may be able to adapt to the changing
regime.
Sightings off Lands End,
2002-4
Sightings off The Lizard
peninsula, 2002-2004
Key
2002 Sightings 2003 Sightings
No. sharks at sighting location No. sharks at sighting location
1 1
2 2
3 3-8
4 9-12
2004 Sightings Landmark/headland
2004 Sightings off transect
20 metre depth contour
Basking Shark Report ARTWORK.ind8 8 19/11/2008 16:50:49
Basking shark behaviour
Feeding
The most commonly recorded behaviour was
feeding. Sharks were observed swimming at the
surface with their mouth agape, fltering plankton
from the water.
Courtship
The survey was also able to observe basking
sharks displaying courtship behaviour. This involves
two or more sharks swimming parallel to each
other, following close behind one another, and
occasionally making contact. This behaviour was
recorded on four occasions across the survey
region, including three times to the east of The
Lizard.
Breaching
Basking sharks breach on occasion, sometimes
leaping entirely clear of the water before turning
in mid-air, inverting and landing on their back with
a loud, percussive splash. Sharks were observed
breaching on 15 occasions. Breaching has been
suggested to be an aspect of social behaviour that
may be linked to courtship or reproduction, and
appears to be a group activity. During the survey,
sharks were only observed breaching when groups
of sharks were present, and only sharks of mature
size (over 7 metres) were recorded breaching.
Newborn pups
The basking shark is believed to give birth to a
litter of fve or six live pups, each around 1.6 -
1.8 metres in length. As a result, sharks under 2
metres in length have been generally accepted
as being young of the year, born in the season of
their sighting. During the survey, 10 sharks under 2
metres were recorded, principally in Areas 4 and 5,
to the east and west of The Lizard. This suggests
that births may occur within, or near, these areas.
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Basking Shark Report ARTWORK.ind9 9 19/11/2008 16:51:06
Conservation issues
Collision with vessels
The waters off Cornwall are a playground for leisure
boat users, attracting tourists from Europe and
beyond. The area around the eastern side of The
Lizard peninsula sees considerable amounts of water-
borne traffc, lying as it does along the typical route to
and from the busy port of Falmouth, and the popular
yachting centres of the Fal, St Mawes and the Helford
River. The majority of sharks recorded were sighted
along the route usually taken by small craft travelling
around Lizard Point to Black Head and to the East
of the Manacles buoy. In recent years an increasing
frequency of collision with sharks at, or just below,
the surface has been reported in the yachting press,
particularly from the region around The Lizard.
Collision with a shark at the surface may not only
result in serious injury or mortality to the animal, but
may also pose a considerable risk to a small craft and
its occupants. While many collisions are with boats
travelling at speed, small craft manoeuvring close to
sharks, in order to observe them, may also a present
a risk of disturbance and accidental collision. Shark
movements can be surprisingly fast and erratic.
Entanglement in fshing gear
Basking sharks are vulnerable to entanglement in a
range of fshing gear, including pot ropes, trawls and
bottom-set gill nets. These threats apply throughout
the basking sharks range, but are probably most
severe in frontal areas. As well as being vital for
sharks, the productive nature of these areas makes
them highly important zones for inshore fsheries.
Where sharks and fsheries meet, there is a risk of
shark entanglement. During the course of this survey,
Cornwall Wildlife Trust recorded a number of basking
sharks entangled in ropes attached to fxed fshing
gear. There is currently no regulatory requirement
to record such events or inform agencies if such an
incident occurs. As it is now illegal to land and sell a
basking shark, it is likely that most entangled sharks
are simply dumped at sea; thus it is very diffcult to
evaluate the signifcance of this threat and develop
ways to minimise it. There is an urgent need for
practical approaches to minimise this risk, especially in
the hotspots identifed by this study.
Disturbance from marine
ecotourism
One of the UKs fastest growing tourism activities in
recent years has been marine ecotourism, in particular
commercial pleasure craft taking paying passengers
to view marine wildlife. Around the South West,
one species that is often highlighted on operators
promotional material is the basking shark. Basking
sharks do not appear to be highly vulnerable to
disturbance from responsibly handled craft. However,
repeated approaches may cause problems, and
there is an elevated risk of collision where craft are
not handled with due regard to sensible speed. The
risk of disturbance or injury is particularly serious
in those areas where groups have been observed
and courtship behaviour recorded, as disruption of
breeding behaviour could have a disastrous impact on
the UK basking shark population.
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Conclusions and recommendations
Few countries can boast of the number of basking
shark sightings recorded in the UK each year.
The results presented here form an integral
component of a larger survey. A report for the Northern
Ireland Environment Agency on the Northern Ireland
study area was published in 2004. A report covering
the surveys carried out in the Clyde Sea and the
Sea of the Hebrides for Scottish Natural Heritage
is in preparation and due for publication in 2009. A
more detailed report of the English survey results is
available at www.naturalengland.org.uk. Basking shark
hotspots have been established in all of the areas
surveyed, and a range of current and potential threats
have been identifed.
Over six years of study, the survey of the western
English Channel has identifed three areas east
and west of The Lizard peninsula and west of Lands
End that have demonstrated consistently elevated
levels of basking shark sightings during both high and
low periods of general abundance. These sites are
also areas in which above-average levels of human
activity take place, involving both commercial and
leisure activities, and where courtship behaviour has
consistently been recorded. It should be noted that
the areas identifed here, locations at which fronts
form, represent typical habitat for surface-sighted
sharks. The threats that exist in these areas are by
no means unique, but also exist to a greater or lesser
degree at other key sites. The mitigation measures
presented here could be considered equally for other
such sites around the UK.
We believe that the following protective measures
should be considered at basking shark hotspots:
1. Educational measures targeted at Masters of
commercial and leisure craft navigating through
these areas, informing them that aggregations
of basking sharks may be encountered at
the surface on a seasonal basis. This might
take the form of information supplied via the
UK Hydrographic Offce, such as Notices to
Mariners, electronic or paper charts, pilot
books, nautical almanacs or harbour guides,
and should aim to reduce the levels of surface
collision, safeguarding both vulnerable sharks
and small craft and their occupants.
2. A joint evaluation with local inshore fshermen to
establish annual levels of shark entanglement
within the sites, and to determine whether there
are particular areas or types of gear that are
implicated. Agreement might then be sought on
voluntary avoidance of setting such gear within
those localities on a seasonal basis, or when
numbers of sharks are known to be present, to
reduce incidental entanglement. A beneft for
fshermen would be a reduction in the amount of
nets/gear lost or damaged by basking sharks.
3. Further emphasis on the reduction of potential
impacts of commercial marine ecotourism
activities, such as an agreed speed limit in the
critical areas on a seasonal basis. This might
most effectively be carried out through the
WiSe Training and Accreditation
Scheme (www.wisescheme.org)
and could become a mandatory
part of any ecotourism operational
licence.
4. Promotion of the Basking Shark Code of
Conduct and The Wildlife Trusts public
sightings recording scheme (see http://
baskingsharks.wildlifetrusts.org for both), and
greater awareness of the presence of basking
sharks within these important sites.
5. Consideration of the potential application of
site-based protection measures for the key
sites. The forthcoming Marine Bill is due to
introduce Marine Conservation Zones, a new
type of marine protected area offering various
degrees of protection. The potential for Marine
Conservation Zones to contribute to basking
shark conservation should be explored as a
matter of urgency.
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The Wildlife Trusts
The Kiln, Waterside,
Mather Road, Newark, NG24 1WT
Tel: 01636 677711 Fax: 01636 670001
www.wildlifetrusts.org
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Acknowledgements
The project enjoyed the support of many
organisations, both fnancially and in spirit.
These include Natural England, Northern Ireland
Environment Agency, WWF-UK, Earthwatch
Institute (Europe), Born Free Foundation,
Shark Foundation (Hai Stiftung), Shark Trust,
Marine Conservation Society, Heritage Lottery
Fund, National Express Group, Save Our Seas
Foundation, Volvo Ocean Adventure, Esmee
Fairbairn Foundation, and Canon (UK). Their
support has been invaluable.
The backbone of this project were the 600
volunteers who helped to collect the data. Whilst
they are far too numerous to acknowledge
individually, every one of the volunteers who
took part in the surveys played their role in the
production of this report, and we thank them for
their company and willingness to contribute to
the project.
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