Nick Shoevaart, 23, thought he was doing the right thing after he landed a massive tiger shark at Cheynes Beach in Western Australia and released it after snapping a few pictures. He even called fisheries in the morning to let them know there may be a dangerous shark to humans in the area.
Image: WAtoday.com
“As soon as I caught it and released it, the next morning I rang fisheries straight away to let them know there’s a potentially harmful shark to humans there, Shoevaart told 9 News Perth.
It turns out those photos have landed him in a tough position with conservation groups.
“It’s pretty exciting to see… I think I did the right thing,” he said.
“Next time I’ll definitely get a video or a picture of (the shark) swimming off so people have nothing to whinge about.”
Because tiger sharks are a protected species, Shoevaart may be facing a $5,000 fine from the Department of Fisheries if he didn’t release the star immediately.
