(WSVN) - A disturbing and controversial video circulating on social media shows two men pulling a shark from the waves in New Smyrna Beach.
The fish struggled on the sand as Mariana Sabogal begged them to let it go. “Can you please put it back, you should not be doing that with animals,” Sabogal said.
Sabogal recorded the interaction. “I love to explore the underwater world. I actually love sharks. That’s why it was very impactful for me to see that being done to them because I’m used to actually diving with them,” she said.
After pulling the shark further up the sand, she watched one of the men take a knife and stab it in the head.
“My assumption would be that there’s a quicker way to actually do this, and not making fun of it. It just felt like that’s basically what’s going on here,” she said.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, It’s legal to fish for sharks in Florida as long as the shark isn’t from a protected species. Despite how disturbing the video is to some, neither of the men will face charges.
The director of New Smyrna’s Marine Discovery Center said fishermen should only keep what they intend to use.
“In this case, these guys, if they were going to eat this shark, and they knew exactly where it’s coming from, that’s probably one of the most sustainable ways to be a carnivore, knowing exactly the sourcing of where that food came from,” said Chad Truxall.
The FWC said it is common practice to euthanize sharks after catching them.
On their website, they have a list of sharks that can be legally fished with a valid fishing license.
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