It was a king of the ocean, cruising the Atlantic with impunity for half a century until an encounter off Land’s End with a fisherman seeking squid brought its wandering, predatory life to an end.

The thresher shark that became entangled in Roger Nowell’s net is believed to be the largest ever caught, weighing in at 1,125lb (510kg) and measuring 16½ft (5m) from its snout to the tip of its vast, sickle-shaped tail.

At the very top of the pelagic food chain, the thresher had just one predator: man.

But it was a unintended encounter that led it to Newlyn fish market yesterday morning.

Mr Nowell and his crewmate Joe Crowe had just lowered their trawl net hoping for a haul of squid and John Dory when something began rocking the Imogen, their 40ft fishing boat.

Mr Nowell, 41, said: “We’d only been out for a few minutes and we bought the net up to have a look. There was no squid but this massive shark – it was the biggest one I’d ever seen. It was fairly alarming.

“It was still alive but had almost drowned in the nets and as soon as it landed on deck it thrashed around like crazy. It caused around £500 worth of damage to the hydraulics, it was that heavy.

“Me and Joe just looked at each other and I said, ‘I’d better call somebody’. I knew we’d need some help with this one.” Darren Payne, an auctioneer at the fish market, took his forklift truck down to the quayside expecting to unload a largish shark. What he found was the biggest shark he had ever seen. It took four men and the fork lift to manoeuvre the majestic silver giant into the market hall.

Mr Nowell’s hopes of paying for the damage to his boat and making a healthy profit were dashed when the shark fetched just £255, equivalent to 50p a kilo.

Mr Payne, of auctioneers W Stevenson & Sons, said: “As soon as I saw it I thought it might be worthless – it’s too big for most people to take on. There were about 20 people here at the auction but most of them were here to have a look.

“Bidding started at 50p and that’s where it ended. We’ve checked and as far as we can see it’s the biggest one ever caught in the world.”

The buyer was Julian Smart of Smart’s Prime Fish who was wondering yesterday whether he had spent his money wisely.

He said: “I am in negotiation with a number of buyers. It will probably be sold whole but I can’t say more than that. It might sound like a bargain at 50p but by the time I’ve packed it, iced it and brought a lorry down it’ll cost me about £400 just to get it to the yard.

“I wouldn’t normally buy such a big one as they are hard to shift. I need to sell it wholesale which I might struggle to do so I’ve taken a gamble. Hopefully at least I’ll make my 50p back.” About one third of the total length of a thresher shark consists of its tail which it uses to stun shoals of mackerel and herring before devouring them.

Unless someone buys it to stuff and hang on their wall, the enormous creature will be carved up and sold for shark steaks.

Mr Smart said: “Other species are used for shark’s fin soup and I don’t think there is any value in its hide. But they do make very good eating.”

The previous largest thresher on record weighed 953lb and was landed off Hawaii in 2007. The previous British record was for an 882lb (400kg) shark caught off Mevagissey in Cornwall in October.

Ocean bounty

Leather shark leather is up to 11 times more durable than cowhide and is used in shoes, handbags, belts and for bookbinding

Liver oil Shark liver oil is alo used to tan and cure the leather. Oil made from the liver of the basking shark, which accounts for 25 per cent of its weight, has become highly sought after. Prized for its ability to boost the immune system, heal wounds and even cure cancer, the oil is used in hemorrhoid creams, lipsticks, and dietary supplement pills

Medicine Shark cartilage is popular in Japan and China where it is boiled and eaten as a remedy for arthritis and a method of ageing retardation. It is high in protein (39 per cent) and low in fat (0.1 per cent)

Ingredients for poached shark remoulade Shark fillets 2 tbs lemon juice 2 tablespoons Tarragon Vinegar 2 tablespoons Prepared Mustard 2 tablespoons Horseradish 1 tablespoon Chopped Parsley 1 tsp Paprika 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne 1 cup Oil 1/4 cup Chopped Celery 1/4 cup Chopped Green Onion 1 tablespoon Minced Capers

Method Place shark filets in deep baking pan. Top with onion slices, if desired. Add water until pan is half full. Bake at 450F for 45 minutes. Serve with Remoulade sauce. To make the sauce, mix lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, horseradish, parsley, paprika and cayenne. Pour in oil slowly, beating constantly. Then add celery, green onion and capers. Makes 1 3/4 cups

Source: Florida Museum of Natural History, Beach-net.com, Times database

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