FWC Law Enforcement: Shark-related Reports, Aug. 25 to Nov. 17, 2016

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission ( FWC )
Division of Law Enforcement

Weekly Report
August 26 through September 1, 2016

BAY COUNTY
Officer Leonard received a tip that a charter boat harvested two dusky sharks and brought them to a seafood market to be cleaned. A short time later, he arrived at the seafood market and located the two sharks in the freezer. The sharks were identified as dusky sharks which is a prohibited species for harvest. After conducting interviews, Officer Leonard was able to identify the charter boat captain that harvested the sharks and issued a citation for the violation.

CITRUS COUNTY
Officer Boyer was on water patrol in the Gulf of Mexico out of Crystal River when he observed two individuals fishing from kayaks. He conducted a resource inspection and found both individuals in possession of sharks which were not in whole condition and undersized mangrove snapper. Each subject was issued a citation for shark not landed in whole condition and a written warning for undersized mangrove snapper.

Weekly Report
November 4, 2016 through November 10, 2016

BAY COUNTY
Officer Basford was on patrol at St. Andrews State Park when a subject approached her and advised that a great hammerhead shark was just caught on the fishing pier. The subject stated the individual who caught the shark had beached it and started hitting it in the gills; it was then released back into the water dead. Officer Basford went to the pier and interviewed the subject that caught the shark and saw the hammerhead laying on the bottom under the pier not moving. The subject admitted to punching the shark in the gills and said that is how you resuscitate a shark. Charges are being direct-filed with the state attorney’s office.

Please see previous cases HERE.

Source: FWC