TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Fishermen caught a record-breaking 800 kg goblin shark carrying six pups off the northeast coast of Taiwan but have drawn criticism for using bottom trawling to capture a rare "living fossil."
On Tuesday evening (June 13), the Taiwan Ocean Artistic Museum uploaded a post to its Facebook page saying fishermen operating out of Nanfang'ao Fishing Port in Yilan County's Su'ao Township caught a goblin shark (Mitsukurina owstoni). It is a bizarre-looking shark that has been dubbed a "living fossil" because it is the last of the Mitsukurinidae family of sharks that dates back 125 million years.
The shark has an elongated snout, protrusible jaws, nail-like teeth, and tiny eyes without nictitating eyelids.
The goblin shark was 4.7 meters in length, making it the largest specimen caught in Taiwan's waters. According to the museum, the fishermen had been bottom trawling when they accidentally caught the shark and they discovered that it was a female carrying six pups.
Shark as it appeared after being removed from net. (Su-ao Fishermans Association photo)
According to the museum, the fishermen originally wanted to sell the shark to a restaurant for food. However, the museum was able to persuade them to sell the shark to the facility for educational purposes and it will be put on display in the future.
However, as soon as the post came out, netizens criticized the fishermen employing bottom trawling and said the practice should be banned given the impact on such rare species. Some asked whether the fishermen should be fined for bottom trawling, while others called for the practice to be banned completely.
According to the Regulations for Prohibited Fishing Area Location of Trawlers and the Relevant Restrictions (拖網漁船禁漁區位置及有關限制事宜) issued by the Cabinet's Council of Agriculture, fishing trawlers are prohibited from towing, casting, or lifting nets within 5 km from the shore. Trawlers with a gross tonnage of 50 or more are prohibited from towing, casting, or lifting nets within 12 km from the shore.
