Fishermen criticised for problematic catch in Sydney Harbour

A group of young fishermen have been criticised for how they handled a monster bull shark which they reeled in while fishing in one of Australia's most iconic waterways.

One man, who refers to himself as a "professional stingray catcher', shared a video on social media showing his mammoth effort in hooking the predatory animal after casting a line into Sydney Harbour.

The video appears to have been filmed earlier this year but was reshared again this week. And while it seems to have been released quite quickly, some criticised the men for not removing the hook first. While anglers can accidentally reel in a shark from time to time, experts have long warned against releasing without first attempting to safely remove the hook which causes further distress and pain.

In the video, a large hook is seen attached to the shark's mouth as one man battles it in shallow water. Defending his actions, the fisherman argued "pulling it out would kill it" said "it takes a couple of months to fall out" naturally.

While he argued the hook was lodged in the shark's gills, which would cause further pain if removed, Leo Guida of the Australian Marine Conservation Society told Yahoo News this certainly isn't the case. After viewing the footage on Friday, the shark scientist said it appears the large hook is inside its mouth and not its gills and because of this, "ideally, they should've removed it" but said, "it can be dangerous so it's their call".

"Judging by gear and hook size, it appears they were targeting a shark and at the very least having a pair of bolt cutters can help make hook removal safer and easier," he added.

In a situation where a shark's gills had been hooked, Guida agrees, "removing the hook from the gills could have been problematic for both the shark and the safety of the fishers". "In short, the shark could bleed out with severe enough trauma to the gills," he explained but stressed this doesn't appear to be the case here.

Aussies warned to avoid 'exhausting' sharks while fishing

Another thing people noted was the red on the shark's belly, with many wondering what had caused it. Guida explained there are two possible scenarios.

Firstly, the cloaca of female sharks can look red and inflamed if pregnant, "especially when giving birth is imminent". But he said in this case there's probably "a simpler explanation". He said the shark was likely exhausted from the epic battle with the fisherman.

The redness on its belly is likely caused by the "soft skin being dragged along the abrasive sandy bottom".

"Bull sharks are amongst the hardiest of shark species and chances are it will survive its release," Guida explained. "However it's best to avoid exhausting these animals in the first place and they should be released at the earliest opportunity."

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Sydney Harbour a known hotspot for bull sharks

Sydney Harbour is known for its abundance of bull sharks. Earlier this year, Robert Harcourt, leader of the Marine Predator Research Group at Macquarie University, warned Aussies the predators "are there" and "always have been there" — particularly as ocean temperatures heat up.

His remarks came following an attack on Sydney kayaker Lauren O'Neill who was taking a dip off a private jetty in Elizabeth Bay, in the city's east when she was mauled by a shark.

The week following the attack, two fishermen reeled in a "monster" bull shark just a few hundred metres from where the woman was swimming. Meanwhile, various other anglers have shared their own catches while fishing in and around the harbour.

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