Okaloosa Island to Get Anti-Fishing Message After Shark Reportedly Bites Swimmer
For Immediate Release:
July 18, 2014
Contact:
Alexis Sadoti 202-483-7382
Okaloosa Island, Fla. – In response to news that a shark attacked a man who was reportedly swimming near where two men were allegedly fishing off the western shore of Okaloosa Island, PETA will be sending beachgoers a message on Friday through a flying banner that reads, “Keep Hookers off the Beach—No Fishing!” The Banner will cruise up and down the coast for 2 hours:
When: Friday, July 18, 12 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Where: The plane will depart from Navarre, Florida and make its way east toward Okaloosa Island and Fort Walton Beach.
“When there’s blood and bait dangling in the water, sharks, who rarely attack without provocation, come to investigate—and the consequences can be disastrous,” says PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk. “PETA’s banner will remind Pensacola-area beachgoers that fishing is dangerous not only for coastal wildlife but also for swimmers and tourists visiting Florida’s beaches.”
When sharks are hooked, they naturally become agitated and may attack passing swimmers, as recently happened in Manhattan Beach, Calif. In addition, discarded fishing tackle injures aquatic animals—and of course, all fish suffer when they’re impaled, pulled from the water, and left to suffocate in the open air.
For more information, please visit PETA.org.
