Screen grab of video footage showing a shark being strung up by a rope noose, gutted and hit over the head with a metal bar to the cheers of onlookers. Picture: Facebook Source: Supplied
VIGILANTE fishermen are hunting, killing and even torturing sharks for sport and conservation groups say new laws allowing great white sharks to be destroyed have "demonised" all sharks and encouraged vigilantes.
Recreational angling group Recfishwest has condemned the practice and chief executive Andrew Rowland declared: "We don't support hunting sharks for the sake of hunting them".
It comes as the Department of Fisheries investigates video of a 2m whaler shark repeatedly clubbed over the head with a metal bar as onlookers laugh. The shark was strung up with rope at the back of a boat and thrashes weakly with its entrails swinging from a stomach wound. The video was first made public on sharkalarm.com.au.[1]
Fisheries Minister Norman Moore said officers were seeking the man responsible and there "may be grounds" to prosecute him.
"If it was found that this sort of practice was widespread then the State Government may have to give some consideration to stronger provisions regarding animal welfare," Mr Moore said.
Whaler sharks of that size caught south of the Zuytdorp Cliffs near Kalbarri are protected and killing one carries a fine up to $5000.
But if the shark was caught north of Kalbarri, the fisher could not be prosecuted because the species is not protected. Sharks are also excluded from animal welfare laws.
The 40-second video was posted to the WA Shark Debate Facebook page by a user named Paul, who said he was from Perth and had other videos of him and his mates killing sharks, including one in which he shoots a tiger shark. He then wrote a post saying: "It was a great film hahahahaha. Let the blood run free I say."
Last month, Perth boys Anthony Pecotic, 15, and Jordan Raffa, 16, posted photos of some of the 18 sharks they caught and released north of Rockingham.
Conservation Council WA marine campaigner Tim Nicol said he was alarmed some anglers thought it was "open season" on sharks. He said only a handful of the world's 450 shark species were dangerous, while the animals were vital to a healthy marine ecosystem.
Australian Anti Shark Finning Alliance founder Mick Dowers, who reported the video, said laws allowing great whites to be killed encouraged shark hate.
The Sunday Times fishing writer and Western Angler editor Scott Coghlan urged anglers to "only keep a creature if you're going to eat it, in which case it should be dispatched quickly and humanely".
Anyone with information is urged to ring FishWatch on 1800 815 507.
References
- ^ sharkalarm.com.au. (www.sharkalarm.com.au)
