A shark was reportedly stabbed by a fisherman and left for dead on a local beach over the weekend, as a leading shark researcher urged fishers to “be aware these protected sharks are out here.”

The juvenile sand tiger shark was found by a woman walking along a Marshfield beach on Saturday — who reported the injured shark to scientist John Chisholm.

The protected shark had reportedly been caught by a striped bass fisherman and stabbed several times before being left for dead on the South Shore beach.

“The fisherman had caught it and apparently thought it was a dogfish, which is thought of as a nuisance fish that overwhelm a fishing spot, so they kill them,” Chisholm told the Herald on Monday.

“Some fishermen don’t realize these are baby sand tiger sharks, and that’s exactly what happened in this case,” he added about the protected species, which has experienced a recent resurgence in the region.

The Good Samaritan who found the stabbed sand tiger put the shark back into the water to try to revive it. She thought the shark was still alive because its mouth was moving.

“She pushed it offshore and it washed away, but it most likely didn’t survive,” said Chisholm, a scientist with the New England Aquarium, who also verifies shark sighting reports through the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy’s Sharktivity app.

“They are tough, and many survive after being caught and tagged, but this was probably not a good outcome for the shark,” he added.

The sand tiger shark is a prohibited species in Massachusetts. As a result, it’s unlawful to possess or harvest this species, and if caught incidentally, they must be released to help them survive.

A person who kills a sand tiger shark could be subject to a minimum fine of $100 for a non-criminal violation, or a criminal violation of $400 to $10,000, per state law.

Sand tiger sharks — which have two large dorsal fins with no spines — are most often confused with smooth dogfish, but sand tigers have very noticeable long thin teeth while smooth dogfish do not. The spiny dogfish is another small coastal shark, but can easily be distinguished from a sand tiger by its two dorsal fin spines and the lack of anal fin.

Related Articles

Monstrous shark that made shark science history pings off Cape Cod; killer whale spotted with a tuna in its mouth

Tiger shark washes up on Nantucket; Atlantic White Shark Conservancy reports new detection data

Orca spotted off Cape Cod. Will killer whales attack local white sharks? ‘Time will tell’

Dead seals with shark bites found along Cape Cod: ‘Be aware of the sharks’ presence in the shallow waters’

Sharks spotted off Cape Cod ahead of Memorial Day weekend: ‘Right on schedule for when they start showing up’

“Fishermen got to be aware these protected sharks are out here,” Chisholm said.

People who witness anyone retaining, killing or otherwise harming sand tiger sharks are urged to call Massachusetts Environmental Police at 800-632-8075.

The sand tiger shark has experienced a recent resurgence in the region. (John Chisholm photo)