Officials respond to dead sharks

http://www.c27dev.ky/news/item/9556

New information tonight about the shark and its babies found dead near the Spoots Dock last weekend.

The Department of Environment says it appears as if someone caught a Caribbean Reef Shark, cut its tail off and left it on the dock. It was pregnant with four pups. DOE officials took measurements and tissue samples on the shark. It's estimated to have been between 6 and 6 and-a-half feet and 200 to 300 pounds. Marine Conservation International's Oliver Dubock says it's unfortunate because the population of reef sharks in the caribbean has declined significantly over the last 50 years.

Mr. Dubock says as far as DOE can tell, nothing illegal happened in this incident. He says it's only illegal to catch sharks if fisherman intentionally throw chum in the water to get them into a particular area. But he says killing a shark -- especially a pregnant one -- could be considered unethical.

That is really sad. Hopefully shark awareness and importance will continue to increase by members of society world wide and eventually the slaughter of sharks will end one day before they are all gone.