A project to track small sharks in Isle of Man waters has resumed.

It is being carried out by the Manx Wildlife Trust on behalf of the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture.

The Small Shark Tagging programme has been running since May 2013.

Tope, or school sharks, are considered harmless to humans due to their small size and preference for small prey items.

They are listed as vulnerable by the IUCN’s Red List and are a priority species under the UK Post-2010 Biodiversity Framework.

Manx Wildlife Trust described the project as aiming to ’work with local anglers to tag small sharks and rays with identification tags or streamers, on a catch and release basis’.

It said: ’It is hoped that the data gathered will provide much needed information on the distribution and numbers of these small shark populations.

’This information will provide evidence-based data for the future management of these species and the best ways to protect them.’

To date, more than 57 anglers have been trained, and more than 300 sharks tagged, including tope, bull huss and spurdog.

So far, only one of the individuals captured through the programme has been recaptured, in 2018 in the Netherlands.

It was tagged in the Isle of Man in May, and recaptured in September. The more individuals tagged the more likely this is to happen again.

The MWT said its anglers have also recaptured individuals from other programmes, including programmes run by the UK’s Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science and the Scottish Shark Tagging Programme.

The SSTP was a project run by the Scottish Sea Angling Conservation Network, and it showed what can be achieved through these types of citizen science programmes.

Through their work they helped to protect several species of skates, rays and sharks through providing evidence of distribution, abundance and sex, and they tagged over 3,000 skates, rays and small sharks during the programme, with recapture rates for common skate at 35%.

In addition, they also increased public awareness, highlighting the need for shark protection and the importance of sea anglers conservation efforts, as well as aiding shark fisheries’ management.

The Manx Wildlife Trust shared photographs from their latest expedition to their Facebook page, stating that the team ’caught nine Tope, which were all measured and individually tagged’ and that two more ’tagging trips’ are planned for later this summer.

Small Shark Tagging training is held every year, free of charge, by Manx Wildlife Trust.

Those interested in getting involved are encouraged to get in touch with MWT directly.

l If you find a shark with a tag, contact Dr Lara Howe, MWT marine officer via email at [email protected]