Disturbing video has emerged of a callous Florida fisherman laughing after shooting a hammerhead shark to death as it dangles helplessly from a fishing rod.
The sickening footage, which is now being investigated by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, shows a man in sunglasses and a red cap pointing a small pistol at the helpless shark that was just caught, according to the Miami Herald.
He pumps two bullets into its gills, and chuckles.
The video was given to animal activist Russ Rector by the person who filmed it. He was told the shooting happened in the waters off Siesta Key near Sarasota but it’s not clear where exactly it took place.
“My first reaction was how ridiculous it was and how cruel it was, quite frankly,” Rector said. “This was all done so they can videotape it and show it to their friends.”
Rector said the incident was particularly cruel because “if you are going to kill a shark, you shoot it in the head. He fired shots into the gill, causing the shark to bleed out and suffocate.”
The latest video of animal cruelty comes on the heels of mass outrage over a video, also taken in Florida, showing a shark being violently dragged to death by a speed boat.
It’s illegal to shoot sharks in Florida waters but legal in federal waters further from the shore.
“That video was forwarded to us as a result of the public outcry from the first shark dragging video,” a Commission spokesman told WSVN Channel 7. “The video is being investigated, and FWC can’t confirm identities.”