Despite being one of the most feared inhabitants of marine life, it seems like even sharks are not exempt from becoming the victimized party deep within the ocean.
Leilani Tresize, a local resident of Hawaii, reported to have found the butchered remains of a 12-foot shark at the ocean floor of Makua Beach, Oahu several weeks ago, when she went for a swim to photograph dolphins.
Tresize recounted the gruesome sight in detail, saying that the shark had a “cut mark on the back, like someone had sliced him through him.” Its stomach “had been cut open” and its jaws were “missing.” She also noted that the shark’s fins were cut off from the body and that she found it floating in the water about thirty feet away from the rest of the carcass.
While there are no state laws in Hawaii that pertain to the outright killing of sharks, there is a bill that was passed in 2010 that banned the practice of shark finning in an effort to save the shark population from being depleted due to the popularity of shark fin soup.
Former State Senator Clayton Hee, who authored the bill, said that it is not limited only to the unlawful possession of shark fins, but extends also to any part of the shark.
“It demonstrates an ignorance of the law and, unfortunately, it demonstrates that who ever did it got away with it,” Hee said. “It doesn’t make sense that you kill it in the first place because it’s unlawful to do so, and then leave it there.”
Many speculated that the culprit was most likely after the shark’s teeth, as the only things that appears to be taken from it would be its jaw. Shark teeth are known to be a very valuable resource for making weapons and jewelry.
Oriana Kalama, founder and CEO of Hawaii’s marine life supporter group Ocean Defender, said that a proper protocol should have been observed in killing the shark, so as to honor Hawaiian traditions and values.
Tresize has also shown the same sentiments as Kalama, stating that a Hawaiian would have taken the whole shark rather than mutilate it, take only a few parts and leave everything else to rot.
Currently, Tresize has already brought it to the attention of the local authorities, sharing the photos that she took of the shark’s remains to the lifeguards of Makaha. However, nothing has been heard from any authority figure as far as the matter is concerned.
By Antonio Torrijos