MIAMI (WSVN) - A man involved in the shocking video of a shark being dragged apologized for his actions but some believe it is not enough.
The video, which surfaced on Instagram and caught officials’ eyes, Monday, showed a hooked shark being dragged by a boat. “So violent and just completely wrong,” said Florida shark diver Bryce Rohrer.
A boat captain from Bradenton said he knows all the boaters in the video and sent the video to the FWC. Once the video went viral, the boat captain said one of the men sent an apology, Wednesday.
“I realized what we did was stupid,” said one of the men involved. “I have learned from my actions and am sorry. It won’t happen again.”
The apology continues, “I mean all of this, I’ve been a conservationist since I could hold a fishing rod at the age of 3. This was a lapse in judgment, and it will never happen again.”
However, some shark experts said this is not an apology they want to see — they want to see charges.
“Hopefully, these guys won’t do this again,” said shark hunter Mark “The Shark” Quartiano. “Maybe they will be prosecuted because it is cruelty to animals, and it’s just not right.”
“It’s like, heartbreaking,” said shark expert Alex Carrier. “No shark or no animal should go through that.”
On Wednesday, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials identified the men involved but have not released their names.
“This was not an act of fishing in a fishing tournament,” said Rohrer. “This was complete animal torture.”
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