Warming could push sharks north
Climate change could be pushing Britain’s basking sharks further north, according to new research from the Marine Conservation Society.
It found that sightings of Britain’s largest fish in Scottish waters have increased by 65 per cent over the past four years. At the same time, there has been a drop of 66 per cent in the South West – the UK’s traditional basking shark hotspot.
The MCS suggests that the shift could be due to climate change, changes in the distribution of plankton – or increased interest in Scotland in the sighting scheme.
Dr Jean-Luc Solandt, MCS policy officer, said: “While our analysis continues, the results so far indicate that Britain’s basking sharks may be responding to climate change. We already know that rising sea temperatures are affecting the distribution of plankton in UK waters and may in fact be making Scottish seas more favourable for the sharks.”
Climate change is top of the agenda for July’s G8 summit in Scotland.
