Wirral beach littered with dead sharks sparks call for tighter fishing controls

Dozens of dead sharks have been found washed up on a beach in Merseyside.

Passers-by discovered the creatures at Leasowe Beach on the Wirral.

On a dog walk, Mick Preston from nearby Meols witnessed 25 of the smooth-hound sharks lying along the beach after he saw a social media posting about it.

But other reports claim that more than a hundred carcasses have been washed up.

37-year-old Mr. Preston blames the practice of gillnetting for the dead sea creatures.

He said: "Me and the Mrs and dog went for a walk and it's just not a nice sight. I've done this for a hobby for 22 years - I've fished the Mersey since I was 14."The gillnets are the main problem. The fish that are surplus to requirements or ones they can't sell, they're just bumping off."By the time they've been dragged through water in the net and everything [they're already dead]. They're tossed overboard like garbage."Porpoises, seals, tope have all become quite regular in the Mersey and surrounding areas of Mersey. If we're fighting against pollution and getting somewhere and these fish are moving back into Mersey...how long is it until numbers decrease dramatically and we don't get them again?"If a rod and line angler had caught it bringing it in they would take a photo and release it then."

Gill-netting is a fishing method which involves hanging a net vertically in the water. It is legal on foot in the Mersey Estuary.

Mr. Preston says that though he understands that the process is within the law, he wants closer monitoring of how the nets are being used.

And he wants a more high-profile presence of bodies like the North Western Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (NWIFCA) on beaches in the area to help monitor the situation.

An NWIFCA spokesperson said: "Under current local and national legislation, it is not illegal to fish using gill-nets on foot in the Mersey Estuary, nor discard unwanted by-catch from those nets. NWIFCA officers regularly patrol the area and conduct inspections of this fishery to ensure compliance with specific regulations regarding the physical make-up of the nets in use."As a modern regulator, we are keen to receive and review evidence which enables us to consider how best to manage and regulate inshore fishing activity in the future. We would ask that any members of the public who have concerns regarding any fishing activity in the area contact us via our email office@nw-ifca.gov.uk."