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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Louie Smith

Huge 8ft porbeagle shark weighing 21 STONE caught off south coast of Britain

An 8ft shark weighing over 300lbs has been caught off the south coast of Britain.

The porbeagle shark - which is a relative of the deadly Great White - was found seven miles offshore.

Fisherman Adam Carter, 41, managed to reel in the 21 stone monster following a one hour 45 minute battle.

Friend Matt Mizen caught another huge porbeagle, thought to weigh over 14 stone, on the same trip.

Sightings of the sharks have increased in recent years thanks to a ban on commercial fishing in European waters.

A group of fishermen were stunned by what they saw (AdamCarter/BNPS)
The portbeagle sharks were caught off the coast of Dorset (AdamCarter/BNPS)

Plasterer Adam said: "Shark fishing is the best I have known it in terms of the number and sheer size of them.

"Now they are not being commercially fished for we are seeing more and more of them off Dorset."

Describing his battle with the huge shark, he added: "It took almost two hours to reel her in. She started off quite tame but I don't think she realised what was going on.

"Then after 10 minutes she started to play hard and we struggled to hold it. For for an hour and 45 minutes she was spinning the boat with runs over 200 metres."

The fearsome fish were caught off the south coast (AdamCarter/BNPS)
Fishermen Adam Carter, Damien Reynolds, Dave Hambridge and Chris Higgins (AdamCarter/BNPS)

After measuring the shark next to his boad Adam release the hook and allowed her to go free.

Alongside blue sharks, porbeagles are the most common species of shark found in British waters.

The species has enjoyed a resurgence thanks to a Europewide protection order.

Researchers from the University of Southampton also believe ocean warming has seen more sharks migrating north to the UK.

The anglers caught the shark seven miles off Portland, Dorset (AdamCarter/BNPS)
Waters are said to be teeming with similar sharks (AdamCarter/BNPS)

Despite their association with the Great White, porbeagles are not considered to be a threat to humans.

Only three attacks have been recorded before and all did not result in fatal injuries.

Adam, from Weymouth, Dorset, caught his shark off the coast of Portland, in Dorset.

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