Outrage after laughing fishermen drag shark behind speedboat
Wildlife authorities are trying to hunt down a group of fishermen who violently dragged a shark behind their speedboat.
The disturbing footage shows the shark flailing in the boat's wake as it's tethered to the stern of the speeding watercraft off the coast of Florida.
The camera then pans to three young men laughing hysterically on the boat.
It's unclear if the shark is alive or dead but wildlife experts are desperate to bring the men to justice either way.
“This is just really sick, one of the most horrific things I have seen in 50 years of professional sport fishing,” South Florida charter fishing Captain Mark Quartiano.
“I don’t know if this is criminal, but it would seem to me that this is animal cruelty and they should be prosecuted,” Quartino added.
Despite the graphic footage, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) said they are not yet certain whether any violations had taken place.
"The FWC has been alerted to a video circulating on multiple social media sites showing a group of individuals traveling at high speed on the water, dragging a shark behind the vessel," FWC public information coordinator Rob Klepper said.
"The FWC takes this very seriously and is currently investigating this incident. We are also attempting to identify the individuals in the video and where it took place."
