20ft Hammerhead caught in Australia a disgrace
We need Shark-free Marinas in Australia, and SFMI needs Regional Ambassadors to start working in their Australian regions.
This story of a 40 year old hammerhead being caught and destroyed for 'display' is an absolute disgrace. The Great Hammerhead is listed by the IUCN as Globally Endangered and there is no excuse for harvesting such an animal simply for display. This was a breeding age specimen, an animal this size serves no commercial purpose for food (except for the fin trade) and countries like Australia should set a better example.
Even worse is that the notoriously inept and national disgrace, Vic Hislop, has bought the specimen and it will now reside in his museum as another display of his monsters of the ocean. For those of you who haven't been to his little sideshow it's full is mis-truths and propaganda... everything from doctored photos of divers being attacked right through to his 'informative' videos of why sharks need to be eliminated. The museum is also filled with his catches: many, many breeding age and endangered sharks from Great Whites to Hammerheads and Tigers.
This is a catch that should not have been allowed. Quite simply this animal should have been released and if the fishermen had launched from a Shark-Free Marina this would have been a requirement. Right now SFMI needs regional Ambassadors in Australia to approach their local marinas and ask them to register as 'Shark-Free'. The process costs them absolutely nothing and they will receive free dock signs and support literature.
YOU can help by registering here.
Here's the article which you should follow if you'd like to make a comment to the reporting agency:
A group of fishermen were delighted when they caught a shark in the warm waters off Australia's east coast.
So imagine their surprise when there was a bigger tug and they realised their catch was being swallowed by an even bigger fish.
This giant, weighing one and a quarter tonnes and measuring 20ft long, was caught off the north coast of New South Wales and is thought to be at least 40 years old.
Vic Hislop, who runs a shark museum in Queensland, was so excited by news of the catch that he bought the shark, which died as it was hauled to shore.
'It's a magnificent specimen, that's for sure,' said Mr Hislop. 'I'm planning to freeze it and then put it on display at the shark museum.'
Some species of hammerheads are on the global endangered list but they are not renowned for attacking humans, unlike the man-eating great white shark.
What might be a warning for swimmers to exercise caution about where they chose to swim is Mr Hislop's comment to Brisbane's Courier Mail that 'while this one is huge, it's not the biggest one I've seen'.
Vic Hislop proudly displays an Endangered Species
Sharks are known to feed at dawn and dusk, so people are advised to avoid the ocean at those times to further reduce their small chance of a shark attack.
Hammerheads, which are found in warm waters around the world, get their name from the shape of their heads, which are flattened and extend sideways. This is thought to help them move in close to their prey and to find food on the sea bed.
While they are not notorious for killing humans, the International Shark Attack file lists them as seventh among sharks that pose a danger to people, the most dangerous being the great white.
In recent years there have been 33 reported hammerhead attacks on humans, but none have been fatal.
