Sharks and rays can become entangled in plastic debris Martin Stelfox/PA Wire

More than a thousand sharks and rays have become entangled in plastic debris, a study has found, with a greater number of species likely to be affected.

A team at the University of Exeter found reports of 1116 sharks and rays caught up in plastic in the world’s oceans after scouring existing studies and social media. However, the true number could be much higher.

The researchers reviewed studies published since 1940 and also looked for reports on Twitter since 2009, fearing that the issue had been pushed “under the radar” by threats such as over-fishing.


“Due to the threats of direct overfishing of sharks and rays, and bycatch [accidental catching while fishing for other species], the issue of entanglement has perhaps gone a little under the radar,” says team member Brendan Godley.

Dozens of species were affected including whale sharks, great whites, tiger sharks and basking sharks. The majority of the entanglements involved abandoned, lost or discarded fishing equipment.

There were also reports of the creatures trapped in plastic packing straps, bags, packaging, elastic cords and clothing.

Journal reference: Endangered Species Research, DOI: 10.3354/esr00964