Featured Image Credit: Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources
By: Sarah Sharkey
Nearly 100 baby hammerhead sharks were found dead near a Hawaiian lagoon. Investigators are working hard to find out who committed such an atrocious crime.
As of now, it is believed that the sharks were caught in a gill net. The young hammerhead sharks likely suffocated within 2 minutes of being in the net because they need to constantly move in order to breathe. Samuel Etrata works at the sailing club nearby and reported the sharks to the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources. He had this to say about the scene, “I see sharks right from here and then I walked farther and I see all this fish, the sharks across this barricade. It is very shocking.”
The sharks were found in Keehi Lagoon, which is a known location of hammerhead pupping. The horrifying incident has called attention to the fact that it is not illegal to catch a shark with gill nets. Hawaiian state senator Mike Gabbard wants to pass a bill that would make a catching a shark with a gill net punishable with a $500 fine per shark.
For now, this incident will continue to be investigated. Hopefully, lawmakers and citizens can come to a solution that will allow all sharks to pup around the island in peace.
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