Australian government officials are investigating after a baby Great White shark was bludgeoned to death in front of shocked tourists.
The shark had earlier been seen swimming in Sussex Inlet on the south coast of New South Wales (NSW) where onlookers at first thought that boats tracking it were shepherding it back out to sea. However it soon became apparent that a fisherman on one of the boats had hooked the 2m shark and was attempting to drag the struggling fish to shore.
As horrified holiday makers looked on the fishermen dragged the shark onto a slipway, and beat it to death with a metal pole despite the pleas of onlookers which included visibly upset children.
Shortly afterwards the same man was seen asking people camping nearby if they wanted any shark meat.
Photographs of the stricken shark show it had sustained deep wounds on its body similar to those caused by a gaff hook, as well as what could be injuries from a boat propeller prior to its death. We decided not to publish a picture of the dead shark, but you can see it alongside the news story at the Herald Sun. The photograph also confirms that the shark was a not a Mako as some had claimed.
Great Whites are an endangered species, fully protected by Australian law and it is an offence to catch, keep, buy, sell, possess or harm these sharks.
The NSW Department of Primary Industries, which deals with fishing-related issues, is investigating the incident and if caught and prosecuted those involved face a potential fine of up to $11,000 and a prison sentence of up to two years.
A department spokesmen is quoted as saying that it is the responsibility of fishermen to know what species they are targeting, and that confusing the shark for a Mako is not an excuse. They are calling on anyone with information on the incident to call the fisheries office.
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