The video under investigation appears to depict a blacktip shark flailing behind a boat as passengers aboard laugh. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Editor’s note: The video below is graphic and may be disturbing to some readers.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is investigating a video that went viral last week which appears to show a shark tethered to the back of a boat going high speed while spectators from the boat appear to be laughing.
Mark Quartiano, a Miami-based shark fisherman known as Mark the Shark, posted the video to his Instagram after receiving it via direct message. “CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WTF IS GOING ON HERE????” he said in the post. “JUST GOT THIS ON MY FEED! SENT FROM @bearjew428 AND @MICHAELWENZEL.FOR ONCE I MAY HAVE TO AGREE WITH @PETA. #WHODOESTHISSHIT #sowrong #notcool.”
The video has been viewed more than 66 thousand times and garnered just shy of two thousand comments.
Shark fishing, though regulated, is legal in Florida. But according to Quartiano, who’s killed thousands of sharks over the years, this video crosses the line.
“I couldn’t believe that someone would send me something like this,” he told the New York Times. “I was horrified.”
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, the incident is currently under investigation by the FWC Division of Law Enforcement, and individuals depicted in the video have been identified. “It is too early to speculate as to what, if any, violations took place in this incident,” said the Florida wildlife commission in a statement on Facebook. “The lack of respect shown in this video for our precious natural resources is disheartening and disturbing, and is not representative of conservation-minded anglers around the world.”
The FWC added, “Per normal protocol, while this investigation is ongoing the agency will not be confirming the identities of the individuals involved.”
Quartiano speculates that the shark in the video is a blacktip, which according to Florida regulations can be caught at any length. He was unable to tell if the shark was alive while being dragged or not.
“It’s just so heartbreaking to see, and everybody I show it to has the same sentiment: ‘Why would anybody do that, and then brag about it?'” he told the Times.
