exemplar of Odontaspis ferox.
Shocking episode, images of which continue to circulate on social media, may have criminal implications.
The violent death of a shark in the port of Fishtailin São Miguel, caused enormous anguish in the Azores and the rest of the country late last week, after shocking images of the animal being pulled from the water and beaten began circulating on social media.
The case has already prompted at least one report to the Public Ministry. Initially, doubts arose about the species, which was associated with the mako or the shortfin mako, but experts contacted by the Elasmobase project, cited by , indicate that it was in fact a Odontaspis feroxa rare shark, little studied in the archipelago and associated with deep waters, whose intentional capture is prohibited.
Marine biologist Beatriz Silva explains that the species is considered “demersal rara” in the Azores and confirms that there was only 18 records documented between 1991 and 2018, almost all related to incidental captures.
The researcher also highlights that the Odontaspis ferox is classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, due to its slow growth, low reproductive rate and high sensitivity to human pressure.
Sharks of this genus are covered by European and national legislation, which prohibits intentional capture and requires its return to the sea when they are accidentally captured. Therefore, regional authorities have already admitted that the episode may have criminal implications.
For Beatriz Silva, the case mainly reveals ignorance and unreasonable fear associated with the figure of the shark.
“A shark is not an enemy, it is a functional part of the ocean”, warns the biologist, who highlights that these predators play an essential role in the balance of marine ecosystems and that their decline can cause imbalances in food chains and indirectly affect fishing activity itself.
In the Azores, where there is a high diversity of sharks and rays, experts argue that the response should not involve persecuting these animals, but through more environmental education, better protocols for action in ports and greater awareness among fishermen and coastal communities.
O PAN rushed, through Inês Sousa Real, to speak out against the “cowardice and cruelty” of the shark’s “aggressors”.
“In the video, it is possible to see the animal, about three meters long, still alive, being removed from the water using a rope tied to its tail fin and being beaten by two men, while being dragged over the rocks of the fishing port”, described PAN/Açores, in a press release.
