The carcass of a blacktip shark washed ashore yesterday on the beach of Beit Yanai National Park. A citizen walking in the area in the morning reported the unusual sighting to the Israel Nature and Parks Authority hotline.
The national park staff, together with inspectors from the Authority’s Marine Unit, arrived quickly and noticed clear marks on the shark’s body indicating she had been trapped in a fishing net. The carcass was collected and sent for necropsy at the apex predator laboratory of the University of Haifa in Ashdod.
Dr. Aviad Scheinin, head of the apex predator program at the Morris Kahn Marine Research Station at the University of Haifa, and Dr. Danny Morick, head of marine pathology at the station and chair of the Department of Blue Biotechnology and Sustainable Marine Agriculture at the Charney School of Marine Sciences, said the shark was a mature female measuring 1.8 meters in length. According to them, “She was in the middle of pregnancy and was carrying seven embryos, none of which survived.”
Dr. Scheinin added, “Female blacktip sharks give birth between June and August, and pregnancy lasts about 10-12 months.” He noted that “there was a deep mark around the shark’s head left by a fishing line, likely from a fishing net, and there were signs of struggle that left deep hemorrhages into the muscle.”
Dr. Morick noted, “Aside from the external signs, hemorrhages were found in the shark’s heart muscle, which usually indicate acute stress resulting from entanglement.”
The necropsy was assisted by Matan Bendikat and Naama Alon. Various samples were taken for comprehensive pathological analysis.
The Israel Nature and Parks Authority emphasized that sharks are a protected natural asset and are considered endangered; therefore, it is prohibited to harm, disturb, or feed them. Any violation is grounds for criminal proceedings.