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A pregnant shark was saved from a storm drain as two men tried to hack off her fin to make soup.

Coastguard Rob Sansom spotted two Chinese men attempting to “fin” the trapped 4ft smooth-hound shark and leave it to die – which is banned in the EU.

Rob said: “The men explained that all they wanted was the fin and I said I wouldn’t allow them to chop it off.”

He alerted colleagues at Portland Harbour, Dorset, and brought in experts Jean-Denis Hibitt and Anna Russell from SeaLife Park in Weymouth.

Realising the shark was heavily pregnant, Jean-Denis and Anna clambered 10ft down into the culvert, placed the shark on to a special stretcher and carefully lifted her out of the enclosed area.

After carrying her across a road, they waded into the harbour shallows and released her.

Luckily the three-year-old shark only suffered minor cuts to her dorsal fin from where the men had used hooks to catch her as she battled to escape back into the sea.

Shark fins are the most prized part of the fish and the traditional Chinese delicacy is believed to bring good luck.

But bans on finning have pushed up prices to £65 for a bowl of shark fin soup.

Fishermen in some countries cut off the fins to maximise profits by not having to store the whole fish, leaving them to suffocate in the sea.

Jean-Denis, said: “I was told the men wanted to cut her fin off and leave the body which you don’t expect to hear in Dorset.”