Shark Fisherman fined in Reunion

Helmut Nickel, Shark Year Magazine

A fisherman found himself in the Criminal Court of Saint-Denis, on La Reunion Island , after killing a large bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) in Saint-Gilles last February.

The 3 metres long predator (photo) was caught the day after a surfer had been severely injured by a shark in the nearby area on February 19th.

A group of fishermen decided to hunt the responsible shark and they managed to land a big bull shark. But the shark hunt sparked a lot of controversy and caused a media outburst (see news-video below).

Even the local police launched an investigation and interviewed the three fishermen regarding the circumstances of the shark capture, whether the animal had been caught within the marine reserve. The killing of the bull shark was not illegal according to local laws and apparently the fishing operation took place in an area where fishing is permitted.

However, the local authorities have noticed several irregularities on the boat, including the lack of a valid fishing  license and the violation of certain safety regulations.

On September 13, one of the fishermen was summoned to the courthouse in Saint-Denis to explain himself.

The judge decided to impose a fine of 150 Euros and a suspended fine of 2000 Euros for the various reported violations.

Sources: linfo.re and clicanoo.re