Fury as dead shark found on Queensland beach with 'barbaric' wounds

The “barbaric” mutilation of a shark found on a Queensland beach with its fins, tail and lower jaw hacked off has left many people outraged.

Locals made the “devastating find” over the weekend in Rowes Bay, Townsville — just north of the city’s busy Strand during the school holidays. One woman was so horrified by the sight she posted photos of the dead shark and its wounds to a local Facebook group on Monday with the hope of drumming up more information for authorities.

“I was there with my kids yesterday and it was there. They were not happy to see this at all, very sad indeed,” one person responded to the images, while another said they had seen the fins and tail on the sand but the “big shark wasn’t there” until recently.

Hundreds of others shared their anger over the fish’s “cruel” and “unnecessary” death, including someone who claimed they had found a dead baby hammerhead shark on a beach just north of the area last week. They included a photo of the small shark upside down on the sand. “Some mongrels are targeting them,” she alleged.

'Definitely a case of shark finning'

After observing the photos taken in Rowes Bay, Dr Leonardo Guida, shark scientist at the Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS), told Yahoo News Australia he believes it was a lemon shark — a non-threatened species — that had been the victim of what he says is an obviously intentional act.

“First and foremost, it’s definitely a case of shark finning — you can tell by the removal of the dorsal fins,” he said. “In Queensland on the east coast there’s a ‘fins on’ rule, meaning any commercially harvested species of fish has to be brought back to land with its fins on so this is clearly an illegal act.”

Dr Guida added that while it is difficult to tell for sure if the shark’s death is the result of commercial or recreational fishing, he suspects a land-based fisherman could be responsible. “Either way it shouldn’t have been treated like that — it should have been released. It’s clearly a barbaric act,” he said, explaining that the removal of the lower jaw could have been for some sort of “trophy”. The shark also appears to have been dead for a while due to its “wrinkly” skin, the scientist said.

“This demonstrates that shark finning still happens, it’s real, it’s exists and it’s just shocking because it’s not hard to do the right thing,” Dr Guida added. “It serves nobody any good, least of all the reputation of responsible fishers.”

• Grim theory emerges after turtles wash up on reef without flippers

• 'Barbaric' scenes as endangered fish found mutilated on Aussie beach

• Aussie fisherman fuming over 'absolutely disgusting' find in creek

Recreational fishers face $619 fine for finning

A spokesperson for Fisheries Queensland told Yahoo News Australia that “while it is not an offence to dispose of fish waste under fisheries legislation” they “encourage every fisher to think of others when disposing of fish, especially to reduce the risk of shark bites in areas where people swim.”

“On Queensland’s east coast, recreational fishers in possession of shark fins without the shark body (or vice versa) face potential on-the-spot penalties of $619,” they said. “Commercial fishers in possession of a shark without the fins naturally attached face on-the-spot penalties of up to $1238.”

Anyone who suspects illegal fishing activity can report it through the toll free Fishwatch Hotline on 1800 017 116.

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.