Fishermen catch and release tiger shark; actions prompt public scorn

Australian shore fishermen aiming to catch something for the freezer instead landed an 11.5-foot tiger shark, then cheerfully posed for photos before releasing it.

They probably weren’t expecting the fallout from the catch and release, but they got an earful as their actions prompted online outrage and a rebuke from a marine biologist. It also got a politician in hot water.

Zach Hanning, Luke Williamson and Natalie Schutte were fishing on the beach at Lakes Entrance in Gippsland, Victoria, on Friday when something big took a bait, as reported by Today on 9Now.

“Pretty much from the get-go, I knew it was a shark,” Hanning told Today.

Hanning put on a harness, grabbed the rod and began a tug-of-war that went on for 90 minutes before landing the tiger shark on the beach.

“Over the years we have heard of the odd tiger shark getting caught down here, but it’s definitely not something we were targeting,” Hanning said. “We were just down there to have a fish and enjoy the beach on a warm day, maybe catch a bronze whaler or something for the freezer.”

Photos of the shark with one of the fishermen sitting on it were posted on Facebook by MAD Outdoors Sale.

Darren Chester, who is a member of the Australian House of Representatives for Gippsland in Victoria, called the catch “a beauty” in his Facebook post.

Chester’s post did not go over well.

“Shame on the MP for promoting this infantile behavior,” Mark Sewell wrote. “No benefit to anyone to catch and release a tiger shark, but fair risk of damage to one party or the other. Would no longer get my vote.”

To which Chester replied, “‘Shame on the MP’… thanks Mark, everyone enjoys a good dose of sanctimony to start the New Year. Pretty sure I would never have your vote!”

Others chimed in:

“If you respect the creatures you DON’T sit on them.”

“It’s not a carnival ride, you treat that animal with respect!!”

“Why sit on it?”

“Mounting a shark for a pic is not cool. You don’t have any clue what damage you could be doing.”

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Lawrence Chlebeck, a marine biologist and a spokesman for Humane Society International, talked about the possible damage to the shark. His biggest concern is when fishermen sit on them for photos.

“When you pull an animal out of the water whose body has evolved to always be buoyant, it can lead to internal injuries – organ crushing,” Chlebeck told Yahoo News Australia. “These are the types of things that kill beached whales and dolphins and it’s a very traumatic experience…If you’re adding weight on top of that, you’re just making things worse.”

Meanwhile, many of the comments on MAD Outdoors Sale’s post were positive in nature, though not all. A sampling:

“Animal Cruelty. How would you like to be treated like it?”

“Great catch and great photos.”

“Terrible behavior.”

“Disgrace.”

“Only [expletives] would jump on the back.”

“Great job boys.”

There were several other defenders of the catch (if not the sitting on the shark).

“People have been hunting fish since the beginning of time,” one commenter wrote. “It’s part of many cultures as well. You going to stop that?

“Get off your high horses. Most of you probably eat fish and chips and don’t think twice about where your food came from.

“I’m sure this tiger swam away healthy. Many [fishermen] are also in tagging programs so fish can be tracked and protected for future generations.”

Most likely, there will never be total agreement on the issue, except perhaps for the disdain about sitting on the shark.

Photo courtesy of Natalie Schutte.