Tiny sharks, just half a metre long, have been found in the river Thames outside of London. Four dogfish, also known as mud sharks, were discovered 20 miles downstream of the Big Smoke in Denton, Gravesend, during a study by the City of London Corporation.
This is a very good sign for the health of the Thames: in the past 49 years, only one dogfish has been spotted in the river. The annual fishing study has been running for 50 years to document the cleanliness of the Thames and the wildlife living in it, and the results this year were a major improvement on the last one. Anglers caught a total of 879 fish from nine different species, compared to 2021 when only 90 fish were caught. Among the haul were also ten eels, some up to 50cm long, six bass and 840 whiting. This year’s catch was the most bountiful since 2005. All the fish were safely returned to the water.
A report from the City of London Thames Fishery Research Experiment said: ‘This year was a near-record year for fish numbers. Whiting dominated the species as expected for the time of year. However other species including dab, eel, bass, plaice and dogfish were observed.
‘With only one dogfish caught over the previous 49 years, it was a welcome surprise to record four, including a specimen of 56 cm. Dogfish are plentiful in the estuary but not so common in the middle reaches. This is further evidence of positive change in water quality within the river Thames.’
We’re going to need a bigger boat!
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