Watch: Shark spotted at Waihi Beach. Video / Supplied
A 2m-long shark that washed up on a beach in the Bay of Plenty on Sunday is likely to have been killed by fishermen.
The juvenile female mako shark was found at the water's edge on Waihi Beach by Herald cartoonist Rod Emmerson - who snapped pictures of the "magnificent creature".
He tweeted that there was no sign of what caused its death.
"[I] suspect it deterred early morning board riders," he said.
DOC's marine technical adviser Clinton Duffy said the shark belonged to the very common pelagic species, usually found in open, offshore areas.
"Adults and juveniles are present all year round, juveniles are usually found closer to shore than adults - which can reach more than 4m in length and weigh more than 350kg," he said.
The shark washed up on Waihi Beach on Sunday morning. Photo / Rod Emmerson
"They're primarily predators of fast-swimming surface fishes like kahawai, tunas, marlins and swordfish."
Shark scientist Riley Elliott said it was the species's taste for fish that are also commonly consumed by humans that puts them in danger.
"They are a commonly caught as bycatch species in tuna long-line fishing, and also in recreational fishing," Elliott said.
Bycatch, in the fishing industry, is a fish or other marine species that is caught unintentionally while catching certain target species.
The fearsome-looking creature likely deterred early morning board riders. Photo / Rod Emmerson
Elliott said this particular shark must have been killed close to shore, otherwise it would have sunk to the bottom of the ocean.
"This isn't a species that is usually found in shallow coastal waters so either it got caught and was discarded close to shore, or it was compromised in some way and ventured into the shallow habitat.
"The fact there didn't seem to be any obvious wounds means it could have died of compromised causes such as lack of food, lack of ability to catch food, a hook in a vital organ, or illness," he said.
Either way, Elliott said the fatality was "sad in its own right " - because mako sharks were listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List.
"The sad fact is that sharks are dying more unnaturally through human influence than of natural causes - including in New Zealand where mako sharks are harvested for their fins and meat," he said.
"So we need to look at it as a holistic environment rather than individual commodities that we exploit throughout our fisheries.
"But on the positive side, these days people have a better education on how important sharks are and therefore are empathetic and concerned about them.
"That has been a huge transition for the conservation of sharks, because we have moved on from Jaws," he said.
