Moses Rocks, Western Australia, 8:20am AWST February 22, 2014 Jeff Hansen, Managing Director, Sea Shepherd Australia reports: A Tiger Shark was pulled up by the South West fishing contractor this morning. The male Tiger Shark had his tail all entangled in rope and was severely distressed, so much so that he threw up his entire stomach out of his body. This effectively left a heap of oil and fishy substance in the water. According to Blair Ranford (volunteer white shark researcher and tagger) this oil slick like substance smells and looks just like the burley that is used to lure great white sharks in for tagging. What is very concerning is that this is right off a well known surf spot. It was not wrapped by the tail.
The fishermen wrestled with the shark, distressing the animal even more until he was finally brought in closer to be shot 3 times in the head before dying. The shark was not measured by the fishermen.
Gracetown, drum-line 5 , Western Australia, 10:00am AWST
Another Tiger Shark was caught this morning with a hook through the left hand side of its mouth and penetrating through the top of its head. The Tiger Shark at this stage was still alive. The fisherman then brought the undersized shark along side and reached over the side of the boat with a long pole with a knife attached. The fisherman then barbarically started hacking away at the sharks mouth and head, completely butchering any chance of this shark being able to feed again. Having nothing for the hook to hold onto, the once beautiful and graceful tiger shark sank to the bottom of the ocean. Is this another one of the so called "alive/released" statistics according to Fisheries Minister Ken Bastion?
The events of this morning were captured by Sea Shepherd and Animal Amnesty independent observation and research team as part of the No Shark Cull Alliance.
Animal Amnesty's Amy Flea stated, "Today was one of the most inhumane treatment towards an animal that I have ever seen. The whole operation of Colin Barnett's cull is stoic and sly and needs to be transparent. As taxpayers forced to fund this atrocity, we have a right for the truth to be told. In the absence of government transparency, Sea Shepherd and Animal Amnesty will deliver to the public filling the void."
While onboard the observation vessel, future aspiring marine biologist, year 9 student Shianne from Busselton High School stated, "I was sickened by seeing the sharks killed and caught today, this makes her more determined to want to be a marine biologist and conservationist to protect the marine environment."
Sea Shepherd Australia's Managing Director Jeff Hansen stated, "Given the state of the so called "Alive/Released" sharks, there is none to little chance in survival, which means that if conservatively only half of these Tiger Sharks to dates are surviving, by the time we hit April 30, we are looking at the slaughter of around 140 Tiger Sharks, an animal that keeps our oceans healthy that has not caused a fatality in the Perth of South West. The WA EPA has received a record number of submission, its time a full environmental impact assessment was conducted, that WA caught up with the 21st century and removed these barbaric and pointless drum lines immediately!"
This fishermen in the south west is operating with the outmost cruelty and Sea Shepherd, Animal Amnesty and the No Shark Cull Alliance are calling on the Environment Minister Greg Hunt to revoke his exemption immediately.
With such cruelty and lack of transparency and cover up, what we have off the Western Australian coast is becoming like Australia’s version of Taiji, Japan.
Original story by Sea Shepherd Australia: http://seashepherd.org.au/news-and-media/2014/02/22/morning-of-cruelty-i...
