SARASOTA, Fla. (WFLA) – Yet another controversial video is out there involving marine life and young men.
This time, instead of dragging a shark behind a speeding boat, this latest clip shows two young men using a gun to kill a hammerhead.
In the video, a young man brings a seven-foot hammerhead shark alongside a boat.
One man fires two shots, one right after the other, and the hammerhead is dead.
**WARNING: The video above may be difficult to watch for some viewers. The video was provided to News Channel 8 by Russel Rector.
News Channel 8 showed the video to experienced Sarasota Charter Fishing Captain, Wayne Genthner.
“Why kill something you were probably gonna release?” he asked.
Captain Genthner thinks the shark in the video is likely a female, which may have pups.
Meaning two dozen sharks may have died.Related:
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Even if it is a male, it’s not good eating.
“It’s rare to eat a hammerhead. It’s not exactly the kind of thing you want to take to the dinner table. A black tip shark is good. A maco shark is good. But, a hammerhead? A top predator? One of the most valuable animals we have in the water?” said Captain Genthner.
An FWC spokesman points out shooting a shark in Florida waters is illegal, but it’s okay in federal waters.
It doesn’t matter to this boat captain.
“It’s over the top. This is not normal behavior. This is kind of a twisted, sick behavior,” he said.
The better choice, from this captain’s perspective, would be to let the shark go.
But, if another species was due to end up on a dinner plate, Captain Genthner said he would gaf it, then pull it into ice.
He worries what these men do on dry land.
“You don’t know how to handle yourself on the water. You’re irresponsible with wildlife, maybe you shouldn’t be near wildlife,” he said.
An FWC spokesman confirms the agency has this latest video, the shark dragging video, and other evidence, including many still shots.
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