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'Good luck trying to swim': Sick video of fishermen cutting tail off shark goes viral

WARNING – GRAPHIC CONTENT: A sickening video of two fishermen laughing after hacking off a defenceless shark’s tail and throwing it back into the sea has been shared on Facebook.

The shocking footage shows the shark appearing to be tangled in fishing line alongside a commercial fishing boat in Greenland.

The fisherman cut off the shark’s tail to free their line. Blood streams from the back end of the shark as it tries to swim off. The men then switch the camera onto their laughing faces.

The Greenland shark is seen trying to swim away with its tail cut off. Source: Facebook
The shark was thrown back into the sea with its tail cut off. Source: Facebook

Local news outlet RÚV reports the men can be heard yelling something along the lines of: “Good luck trying to swim, you punk!”

The video has gone viral since being posted to Facebook and shared by Christel Ýr Johanse who said they were “such sick losers”.

“The guy is so proud of himself that he disabled comments because no one seems to agree with him .. got a screengrab before he closed that ... share at will,” she said.

A screenshot of two men laughing in the video after the shark's tail was cut off. Source: Facebook
The two men were fired and could face criminal charges. Source: Facebook

Many sickened by the act of animal cruelty commented on the post, one saying it was “disgusting”.

Another said the Greenland shark only ate fish and little sharks and posed no threat to humans.

“No interest in humanity, and it does not change now that this unique Greenland shark (Which is at threat of extinction) could not have less chance of living,” he said.

The shark is pictured in the hands of the fisherman before they cut its tail off. Source: Facebook
The shark's tail was cut off after it was caught in Greenland in tangled lines. Source: Facebook

According to RÚV, the two fishermen in the video have been fired from their jobs and could face animal cruelty charges. The owners of the fishing boat issued a statement condemning the “horrendous event” that appeared in the video.

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