NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. — A viral video posted to Instagram sowing two men stabbing a shark in the head during a fishing outing has sparked outrage.
The video was posted by Louis Aguirre with the caption, “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. This was a black tip shark. Completely legal and harvestable. Madness. We’re killing over 70 million sharks a year worldwide. Our global shark population doesn’t stand a chance if this continues. 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 . Being a shark lover, I feel I just witnessed someone killing an amazing creature for absolutely no reason. “
WARNING: Video may be disturbing to some
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation said in a statement to local media the men did nothing wrong.
“It is common practice for anglers to euthanize sharks after landing for ethical and safety concerns,” the FWC said. “This video is not currently under investigation as no violation of state law regarding the method of harvest occurred.”
