Nothing unusual in shark finding: expert
A MARINE specialist says the sharks which recently washed up on Dunedin beaches are nothing to be worried about.
Long Beach resident Robert Anderson said he came across the 1.5mlong shark last week.
At first he believed it had died of natural causes but noticed there was a cut underneath its snout which suggested it had been caught on a line and killed.
New Zealand Marine
Studies Centre educator Robert Lewis said it was hard to tell if the shark had been hooked or if it died of a natural cause.
Finding washedup sharks was not uncommon and another blue shark had washed up about two weeks ago at Moeraki.
The numbers of sharks found on beaches varied from year to year, Mr Lewis said.
Sharks that washed up on beaches did not require any special treatment, unless it was a protected species such as a great white.
Mr Lewis encouraged people to report shark sightings to the Shark Spy programme he administers, either online or by email.