A researcher at UAF has noticed data that might indicate salmon sharks are partially to blame for king salmon decline in the Bering Sea; a local biologist is skeptical but says it’s a worthwhile question.
Assistant Professor at the UAF School of Fisheries Andrew Seitz noticed unusual temperature readings on tagged fish that indicated the shark, which has a rare ability to keep its body core warm.
Homer’s Ken Goldman is a Commercial Fisheries Biologist who has studied sharks for over 30 years and said from what he’s read, Seitz’s hypothesis was from a small amount of fish.
We asked if more sharks have been seen in the Cook Inlet region and he said they are a largely migratory fish and often follow the trends in pink salmon runs.
UAF’s Seitz said sharks eating large kings could be a factor in declines but it is to early to tell.
His interest in it stems from the fact that discussion of the mortality of salmon in the ocean has mostly ignored the large adult stage.