Pictures by Raphael Occhipinti.
An angler got a huge surprise yesterday when he landed a whopper at Rathmullan Pier.
John Kyle caught the rare tope shark using mackerel bait at 4:45pm and it measured a massive 1.2 metres (3.93ft).
“We were fishing at the pier and got this amazing surprise,” said friend Raphael Occhipinti.
Immediately after the picture was taken, Mr. Kyle returned the shark alive and well back into the water.
The conservation status of the tope is listed as critically endangered by the IUCN Red List, and its status on the Irish Red List for cartilaginous fish is listed as ‘vulnerable’.
Tope have a low productivity rate and a long generation time, maturing after 10 years.
Tags:
