After A Shark Is Horrifically Stabbed In The Head On A Florida Beach, Authorities Tell WAN “No Laws Were Broken” Truly Sickening!!!
WAN
Still images posted from video shared on Instagram.
Another shameful display of cruel and sickening acts by sub-humans was recently captured on video as two men callously dragged and ultimately stabbed a shark in the head with a knife while on a beach in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. A woman pleading with the men to stop hurting the innocent shark and return him back into the ocean can also be heard throughout the shocking footage. WAN posted the appalling video on social media over the weekend.
Emmy award-winning journalist Louis Aguirre, a Miami-based news anchor and environmental advocate at WPLG Local 10, was among those outraged at the blatant animal abuse by the sick men who seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves. Aguirre, who also acknowledged the devastating impact that their callous actions have on the bigger picture of shark populations, the ocean, and the environment, shared both the video and his disgust about the situation on social media, generating more than 130,000 views on Instagram alone.
“The worst of humanity on full display folks. I am speechless… this is the world we live in. Very sad there are those who take pleasure in watching another living creature suffer so,” noted Aguirre, who further stated that it is ‘madness’ that it is completely “legal” to harvest the black-tip shark in such a despicable way, or any way. “We are killing over 70 million sharks per yearworldwide. Our global shark population doesn’t stand a chance if this continues.”
WAN talked to Chad Weber, a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commissionpublic information officer, about the tragic occurrence. As per Weber, “no laws were broken” and in the state of Florida it is legal to “harvest” black-tip sharks. When questioned whether there will be any further action on the case or if the men will be found and held accountable, he shared that the men did nothing illegal, so no, despite how it appeared in the video. Sicking and appalling.
“After review of the preliminary information and the video, it appears that the anglers attempted to follow best practices and guidelines while killing the shark after “harvest” and no violation of state law regarding the method of “harvest” occurred. The species of shark is one allowable for “harvest,” noted an official statement that Weber subsequently emailed to WAN. “If any member of the public has additional information about this incident, we encourage them to contact our Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922 or text 847411 (TIP411) with the keyword“FWC,” followed by the city and/or county and any information.”
These hardly seem like “best practices and guidelines” to anyone who even remotely cares for the health, well-being, and vitality of these beautiful species.
“A healthy ocean needs a healthy shark population. If the sharks die, the oceans die. Plain and simple. We need more shark awareness and education, and better laws to protect our sharks,” concluded Aguirre. “Being a shark lover, I feel I just witnessed someone killing an amazing creature for absolutely no reason.”
While it may currently be “legal” to kill certain species of sharks in Florida, it does not make it right!
Help advocate for life-saving changes to be made to the laws that currently allow the senseless killing of sharks in Florida, by emailing Governor Ron DeSantisat GovernorRon.Desantis@eog.myflorida.comor calling his office at (850) 488-7146. Contact information for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commissionis available HERE!