Scientists will attach 70 electronic tags to 3 vulnerable shark species in Britain, combining new tracking data with fishermen’s catch records dating back to 1953.

Britain’s coastal waters are home to more shark species than many people might expect, but scientists still know surprisingly little about how several of these animals move, feed and reproduce. In a report by The Guardian, researchers outlined plans for a new three-year project that will combine modern electronic monitoring with decades of observations recorded by recreational fishermen. The project will focus on three vulnerable shark species found in Britain: the porbeagle, the dogfish, also known as the school shark, and the blue shark. According to The Guardian, scientists will deploy 70 electronic tags as part of the project, which involves the University of Exeter, the Marine Biological Association, the Angling Trust and the Pat Smith Database.The project has received almost £1m of funding from Natural England and will use electronic tags to study how sharks move in British waters. Researchers will also turn to the Pat Smith database, which contains shark catch records dating back to 1953. Together, the historical records and new tracking information could provide a much longer-term picture of where these sharks have been found and how their distribution may be changing.

Tracking sharks in the sea

The 70 tags will provide scientists with different types of information. Forty short-term tags, costing around £1,500 each, are expected to remain on the sharks for around 45 days. They will help researchers examine how animals respond after being captured and released. Another 30 labels are designed to remain attached for about a year. These more sophisticated devices can help reconstruct a shark’s movements while also recording how deep it dives and how much time it spends at different depths. This information could reveal previously unknown patterns in animal behavior and migration.Researchers will also collect small DNA samples from the sharks. These samples could help determine how different populations are genetically connected and whether sharks found in British waters are related to animals from other parts of Europe. For species capable of traveling long distances, that information could be particularly valuable. Researchers also want to understand how far these sharks travel, and the team noted that species like the porbeagle could travel much further than previously known.

Fishermen provide historical clues

One of the most unusual aspects of the project is its reliance on recreational fishermen. The Pat Smith database contains records dating back more than seven decades, creating an opportunity to compare current observations with historical catches. Researchers say these records are particularly useful because scientists alone cannot observe sharks over such large areas and for such long periods. Recreational fishermen have spent decades on the water, recording the species they encounter and, increasingly, releasing sharks after measuring them.Modern catch-and-release practices could also give researchers the opportunity to examine how sharks fare after being captured. Short-term tags are intended in part to show how well individual animals survive after capture and release.

Why data matters

Ultimately, the information could help identify areas that are particularly important for sharks and reveal whether their ranges or population patterns are changing. Researchers will examine where porbeagles, dogfish and blue sharks feed, migrate and potentially gather to breed. If tagged sharks repeatedly travel to areas where they face a high risk of bycatch, those movements could provide important information for conservation planning.The research also highlights how citizen observations can complement scientific monitoring. Researchers will also conduct workshops and interviews with fishermen across the country, drawing on their experience and records. The wider aim is not simply to track individual sharks, but to gain a clearer understanding of Britain’s shark populations. With electronic tags that reveal what happens beneath the surface and historical catch records that show where sharks have appeared over generations, scientists hope the combination will provide a stronger foundation for protecting these often misunderstood marine predators.