Two Florida fishermen were arrested and charged after catching a Tiger shark, tying its tail to their boat, and dragging it into the Chassahowitzka River from the Gulf of Mexico.
The person in the photo holding the shark, Joseph Wilson, was not charged, as he was just an onlooker who wanted to hold the shark. However, Wilson faced online scorn for posting the photo on his Facebook page.
The photo was shared to the Real Florida hunting and fishing page, where commenters took Wilson to task for his actions.
Onlookers were outraged when they saw the tiger shark dragged into the river and held up for photos, and several reported the incident to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Fishing for a Tiger shark is illegal in Florida waters.
Wilson didn't know it was illegal, and regrets his actions.
“People are chewing me a new one right now,” Wilson told the Citrus County Chronicle. “I’m an animal lover. I would never do anything to hurt one.
“I called FWC myself,” he said. “I was scared to death. I’m not a troublemaker. I love marine wildlife.”
The two men who caught the shark were identified and issued notices to appear in court, where they will face second-degree misdemeanor charges,
Photo: For The Win