Latest news with #venomousfish
BBC News
2 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Weever fish warning issued for Northern Ireland beaches
They're tiny, almost invisible, extremely painful for anyone unfortunate to walk barefoot onto one of their venomous spines - and they're popping up on beaches in Northern presence of weever fish on the north coast has led two councils - Mid and East Antrim and Causeway Coast and Glens - to warn beachgoers to watch their fish spend most of their lives buried in the sand and have venomous spines on their dorsal fins, which can deliver a very sore are found all over the UK and are some of the only venomous fish found in local waters - but a local lifeguard said the warmer weather is driving an increase in run-ins with weever fish. "With more people coming to the beach we've had more weever fish stings and a lot of people may not know about them so they might find it hard to identify what they've actually been stung by," said Maria Dillon, an RNLI lifeguard who patrols along Portrush West Strand Beach. She described the initial feeling of a sting as "like stepping on a sharp shell". "This will be followed by a continuous throbbing, maybe swelling, or redness in the foot, this will go on until the sting is submerged in hot water."She said if anyone is stung at a lifeguarded beach, they should alert them as "the lifeguard can assist by providing water as hot as they can handle for 20 to 30 minutes"."Steps that beachgoers can take to protect themselves may include wetsuit boots or swimming shoes when wading in the shallow waters," she added. The fish are about 15cm long with a deep yellowish body so they are hard to spot buried in the are most commonly noticed during June to and East Antrim Borough Council said that while the "number of incidents reported directly to council is low, there may be other incidents that have not been reported". "However, due to the pain that weever fish can inflict (and in some case require medical attention if there is an adverse reaction), we felt it prudent to warn members of the public to be vigilant and take precautions." What's the view on weever fish from Portrush? Some of the beachgoers who spoke to BBC News NI on Portrush's West Strand have had some unfortunate first-hand experience with the stinging Curry was on the receiving end last year while taking a surfing lesson."It really, really hurt, it felt like a line of pain through the bottom of my foot," she said."At first I didn't really notice it because I was in the water, so I thought I was just imagining it but then it got worse and when we started to come out of the water I was like: 'There's something wrong, I've stepped on something.'"Eve said her initial thought was it was a jellyfish sting but when she told her surfing instructor they told her that she had stepped on a weever was then taken to the lifeguard hut and submerged her foot in hot water for 20 said it was "quite sore" but because she noticed it so quickly and did not have to walk far for assistance, she "probably didn't get the full experience".While she didn't know what a weever fish was before her painful introduction, she has since looked them up and thinks they're "quite cute in a way". A near miss Norma Rae, who regularly brings her children surfing, said she had heard of an increase in stinging incidents in recent said she had a near miss in 2024 when she felt something wiggle beneath her foot. "Literally for a second I set my foot down and something wriggled and I lifted my foot because there's nothing else really under the sand that's going to be doing that."Ms Rae said it is important to look out for the weever fish as they are "quite hidden" but that it is not going to stop her enjoying the beach. For others, weever fish are less well known - Jeanette Wilson said she'd never heard of one while David Ewart said he had a "vague recollection" of them but did not know said he imagined the sting would be "something similar to trying to remove a tick or small barb with tweezers".Ms Wilson said the warnings made sure she would "absolutely" keep her guard up and keep in mind what to do about a sting. 'Particularly bad this year' Andrzej Krystowski, a surfing instructor, is well used to weever fish sightings."We see them all over the coast but this year has been particularly bad," he told BBC News NI."I don't know what the reason behind it is but we're seeing a lot more of the black flies so maybe that could be it."They're everywhere all over the north coast, and people often ask me if they walk on a certain area of the beach can they avoid them - but they're everywhere and you can't see them."
The Independent
04-06-2025
- General
- The Independent
Beachgoers urged not to walk barefoot on sand or risk poisonous sting
Weever fish, one of the UK's few venomous fish, bury themselves in the sand and inject venom via their dorsal fin when disturbed, posing a risk to UK beachgoers. East Riding of Yorkshire Council is installing warning signs to advise against walking barefoot on beaches during weever season, which begins in June. The Wildlife Trust recommends wearing beach shoes while paddling in sandy waters to avoid stings. The British Marine Life Study Society describes the pain from a weever fish sting as excruciating, with intense pain, redness, and swelling occurring in the first two hours. The Wildlife Trust and NHS advise treating stings by immersing the affected area in hot water and removing any visible spines or tentacles, with painkillers and antihistamines also recommended; ensuring tetanus vaccination is up to date is also advised.
The Independent
04-06-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
Warning issued over return of venomous weever fish lurking under sand on British beaches
UK beachgoers have been warned to watch where they stand as venomous fish could be lurking in the shallows. Weevers are one of the only venomous fish in UK waters. Spending much of their lives buried under the sand, they shoot up their black dorsal fin in defence when disturbed, which injects painful venom into unsuspecting victims. East Riding of Yorkshire Council is in the process of putting up warning signs, urging bathers not to walk barefoot on the sands during weever season, which starts in June when the weather becomes warmer. A spokesperson said: 'We are currently putting up posters on noticeboards and sending out social media messages to warn people about the possible risks of stings from weever fish on our beaches. 'We are urging people to please not walk barefoot on the sands during the weever fish season, just in case.' Weevers can be found near any coastline around the UK, according to the Wildlife Trust. The Trust says on its website that to avoid being stung: 'You should always wear beach shoes when paddling in sandy waters! Always follow the Seashore Code when rockpooling, be careful to leave everything as you found it - replace any rocks you turn over, put back any crabs or fish and ensure not to scrape anything off its rocky home.' British Marine Life Study Society said 'the pain is usually described as excruciating as the spines embed into the human flesh and discharge their venom', according to its website. The pain is at its most intense for the first two hours after contact, when the area can get red and swollen, the society added. The Wildlife Trust advises people who are stung to place the affected body part in 'as hot water as you can bear, as quickly as possible. After 15 minutes or so, the pain should ease.' NHS advice says victims should pour salt water over the affected area, rather than fresh water, and remove any visible tentacles by pulling them out, using tweezers or the edge of a bank card.
