Authorities guide 3.5-meter shark toward canal exit with net, then wait for it to leave on its own
Second attempt to rescue shark from Busan canal ends without success
A second attempt to guide a large shark out of an artificial canal at a waterfront park in Busan failed Friday, with authorities deciding to leave the animal near the canal exit and wait for it to swim out on its own.
The Busan Coast Guard and other authorities launched the operation Friday afternoon, three days after an initial attempt to drive the shark into the sea using water pumps was unsuccessful.
This time, authorities used a large net to slowly steer the shark, nicknamed “Bukang,” toward the canal exit.
A 50-meter-long and 6.8-meter-high net was placed near the fourth pedestrian bridge inside the canal. Authorities then slowly pulled the net toward the fifth bridge, gradually moving Bukang toward the exit.
The operation was carried out cautiously. Officials stopped whenever Bukang approached the net and moved it forward only after the shark swam away.
But Bukang continued to circle the net, at times swimming right up to it as if looking for a way through, rather than heading toward the exit.
Authorities stopped the operation around 5:35 p.m. and secured the net after it became caught on the canal floor. The net was about 150 meters from the exit.
With Bukang refusing to move farther toward the exit, authorities decided to leave the net in place and wait for the shark to leave the canal on its own, following a recommendation from the National Institute of Fisheries Science.
Authorities had initially planned to use another vessel to pump water behind the net and push Bukang toward the exit. They decided against it, however, to avoid stressing or agitating the shark.
Bukang was first spotted in the artificial canal on Sept. 18. The roughly 3.5-meter shark quickly attracted crowds to the waterfront park, turning the site into a popular tourist attraction.
More than 600,000 people have visited the park since Bukang was first spotted, according to authorities.
Authorities will continue to monitor Bukang and decide whether further rescue efforts are needed.
ch0221@heraldcorp.com
