Fisherman lands 150kg shark

A TRAWLERMAN fishing just 300m off the coast of the Pyrenees-Orientales, discovered a 150kg thresher shark when he reeled in his nets yesterday.

Georges Jaume was fishing for sea bream when he found the 5m shark in his net. It is the fourth time he has caught a shark in the same waters in the bay of Racou in the past few months.

Mr Jaume said that this was the first year that he encountered the harmless animals so close to the Catalan coast that he has fished for 30 years, but added that he thought that it may have been attracted by the abundance of mackerel, bluefish and horse mackerel found in the area now.

“It means that the sea is well, it is healthy, that there is more and more big fish. It's a good sign,” he said. “If we catch three or four in the bay of Racou, it means that there are thousands more, it is rather positive. "

The shark was sold at auction Port-la-Nouvelle, Aude, yesterday.

The catch comes just a matter of days after an amateur video was released of a 2.5m shark swimming in calm waters of the popular seaside resort of Grande-Motte, in the Hérault.

Photo © G Jaume