People Are Furious After Fishers Post Video of Themselves Cutting Off a Shark’s Tail
If this is what fishers do when they’re filming themselves, we don’t even want to imagine what happens when the camera isn’t on.
(Warning: graphic footage)
The footage above was reportedly filmed by two fishers aboard an Icelandic fishing vessel. They can be seen holding the mutilated shark against the side of their boat. The men laugh as the animal sinks back into the water—without a tail—bleeding and struggling to swim away.
“Good luck trying to swim, you punk,” one of the two men yelled at the shark.
Unsurprisingly, people have had strong reactions to the disgusting, cruel stunt. “So much for #RespectYourElders,” wrote one Twitter user. “Devastating. I’m at loss for words,” said another. Game of Thrones and Aquaman actor Jason Momoa wasn’t shy about sharing his thoughts, either. He took to Instagram to denounce the fishers’ actions:
“I pray you find redemption,” Momoa wrote. “[W]e all make mistakes but what u did was evil.”
“I wish I would never have seen it, but unfortunately the world must see these things that are happening in order to make a change,” one person commented on Momoa’s post.
The men’s jobs as crew members of the Bíldsey SH 65, the vessel the incident was filmed on, have been terminated, according to reports. Owners of the vessel reportedly called the stunt “horrendous” and “completely unjustifiable.” But not everyone is satisfied—many people have been calling for the men’s arrest.
According to reports, they could face criminal charges and/or fines.
Every Animal Deserves Respect
The internet’s disgust over what happened to this shark is encouraging. But the basic message here—that the animal should’ve been left alone—should apply to all individuals. No fish, no cow, and no human wants to be mutilated, hunted, eaten, worn, or even bothered. Using our voices to discourage people from ever doing something like this again is great, but we must speak up for all living, feeling beings. We can’t end speciesism if we continue to pick and choose which individuals deserve respect and which do not. Click below to learn more:
