By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas National Trust has “strongly” condemned the “targeted culling and ruthless killing” of a mature tiger shark in the Exuma Cays late last week.

In a statement posted on its Facebook page, the BNT, which is mandated with the conservation of natural and historic resources of The Bahamas, warned that shark killings are illegal in the country. However, the BNT did not say whether officials would seek to have charges brought against those allegedly responsible for the shark’s death.

On Thursday, videos circulated on social media showing the bloody capture of a massive tiger shark at an unknown location in The Bahamas.

According to pictures obtained by The Tribune, the shark had been shot at least once in the head and had sustained other injuries to its left pectoral fin.

Although the circumstances surrounding its death and subsequent capture were unclear, the BNT said the shark was reportedly “frequenting an area where stingrays were being fed” prior to its death.

Nonetheless, the BNT said the “targeted killing” of the shark did not “appear to be justified,” and it did not condone the “needless, intentional killing of sharks.”

“Although the BNT is sensitive to the needs of local people who may accidentally catch sharks and choose to consume it, the BNT does not condone the targeted culling and ruthless killing of such valuable, sentient beings,” the organisation said. “This shark was reportedly frequenting an area where stingrays were being fed. The targeted killing of this shark does not appear to be justified.”

The BNT also went on to highlight how the country benefits economically from flourishing shark populations.

“Shark tourism generates some $78m per year in the Bahamas, and is responsible for countless jobs across the entire country, including and especially dive shop employees,” the statement said. “Many film and documentary makers also travel to the Bahamas in order to capture sharks on film, and when their movies reach others it is, in a sense, a form of marketing our sharks and our country. In simpler terms, a single, dead shark is worth only about $60 for its meat and organs, while a single, living shark is valued at $250,000 over its entire lifetime.

“The BNT strongly condemns the needless, intentional killing of sharks.”

Environmental activist Sam Duncombe, founder of activist group reEarth, also weighed in on the matter when contacted yesterday, calling it a “lack of respect for any living thing in this country.”

She said if the shark was posing a threat to anybody it could have been caught and moved to another location.

“The reality is there’s no reason for that animal to have been killed; it could have easily been caught and transported somewhere else if it was creating a problem for swimmers or something like that,” Mrs Duncombe said. “But we need to stop being ridiculous – that’s where they live. Are we going to start shooting every live animal that comes into our proximity because maybe it might hurt us? Thank God we don’t have lions and tigers – they’d all be dead.” She added: “It’s just a lack of understanding of the animals. I understand people’s fears, but just because you’re frightened doesn’t mean the first reaction to your fear is to go kill the animal.”