Reportedly occurred yesterday on Kata Noi beach. This is a near threatened species. Responsible fisherman understand that sharks populations are stressed worldwide. This kind of behavior is highly irresponsible.. Shark meat is also high in mercury and most consider not very tasty. Experts believe Shark catches are increasing and are unsustainable. Many shark populations of many shark species have declined sharply because of overfishing. Once a population is depleted, it can take many decades, even more than a century, to come back to healthy levels. Talking to divers that have dived here 20-30 years ago and you will here how many there used to be compared to now. There are precious few left in the Phuket area and killing one is incredibly greedy and irresponsible. They take a long time to come to maturity, have long gestation periods, and give birth to few pups at a time. The value of a single shark to tourism (diving and snorkeling) far outweighs it's value as a single use food source.

If I posted what I thought of him, I'd get banned.

If I posted what I thought of him, I'd get banned.

I associate with your silent thinking, so we'll be both not to be banned

Have you got an idea of his nationality?

I'll say it, <deleted> ignorant <deleted>......maybe we should put a spear through his fat ass.

Lots of issues for discussion here.

First, nice shot. His not yours.

Secondly, I applaud you for your effort to defend Phuket's marine ecosystem, but it is already done for. Overfishing, and irresponsible fishing are a red herring (excuse the pun). The elephant in the room here is degradation of Phuket's estaurine and riparian milieus. The mangrove, klongs and other nursery areas are entirely toxic due to overdevelopment and inept waste management.

Thirdly, shark is routinely caught by Thais and sold in farang restaurants. Last year, at Nai Thon beach, a Thai restaurant owner purchased a large 8 foot female shark from Thai fishermen. She had a belly full of pups. He then had one of his waiters walk down on the beach amidst the many Russians and other Eurotrash and start fishing with a rod and reel. Two other waiters from this restaurant then covertly floated the dead shark down to where their colleague was fishing and placed the hook in the shark's mouth. The waiter then started screaming that he had a big fish on and proceeded to haul in this massive shark. Within seconds there was a mob of HUNDREDS of Russians ohhing and ahhhing at the waiter's amazing catch. Other staff from the restaurant then came down and they carried the shark up to an old longtail that is set up in the restaurant to sell seafood. The Russian mob followed and there was a photo op frenzy as fat middle aged Russian women stuck their head inside the sharks mouth while their fat sunburnt husbands clicked madly away with their copy iphones and tablets. During the height of the photo session, the Thai owner of the restaurant had one of his staff announce (in Russian and English) that the shark would be barbequed that night and anyone that wanted it should pay now in advance to book a fillet. He was swamped with immediate orders.

The problems faced by the marine environment here in Phuket are far more complex, and sinister, than one Eurotrash d_ckhead who thinks he looks cool carrying a dead shark over his shoulder.

Good luck with your crusade.

Hope to see the knob head out there when the surf picks up, I'd gladly sacrifice a few scegs...

A fisherman is a fisherman, it is his livelihood. Not really any different to a Fanny Mae mortgage broker selling a mortgage , for the commission, to a customer he knows cannot afford it.

If he was not a fisherman and just an opportunist then you have to put it down to Asian indifference.

pictures of his face required. if his conscience doesn't get him perhaps notoriety would.

Isnt spear fishing illegal, or is that only in protected areas?

I am certain if it had happened on koh phangan the dive community would have lynched the moron.

it was a beautiful animal

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A fisherman is a fisherman, it is his livelihood. Not really any different to a Fanny Mae mortgage broker selling a mortgage , for the commission, to a customer he knows cannot afford it.

If he was not a fisherman and just an opportunist then you have to put it down to Asian indifference.

He's not a fisherman and doesnt look Asian.

pictures of his face required. if his conscience doesn't get him perhaps notoriety would.

Isnt spear fishing illegal, or is that only in protected areas?

I am certain if it had happened on koh phangan the dive community would have lynched the moron.

it was a beautiful animal

No protection for black tips in Thailand yet, nor is Kata Noi a protected area. Unless he caught it live and planned to keep it as a pet. or sell its jaws as a souvenir. Selling it at all would make it a labor violation. Legally not much can be done but I am checking with authorities anyway.

have shared it with friends in the dive community. he deserves negative exposure

suitable punishment?

As some of you know, I'm a fervid nature lover and photographer. So what I'm going to say could be contradictory and for sure unpopular.

I don't see why spearfishing (without tanks of course) must be so a terrible activity. The damage of a conscious spearfishing is almost inexstent. Especially if compared with the industrial fishing and trawling.

BTW I think in Thailand spearfishing is allowed outside of course the protected areas. (AFAIK

As some of you know, I'm a fervid nature lover and photographer. So what I'm going to say could be contradictory and for sure unpopular.

I don't see why spearfishing (without tanks of course) must be so a terrible activity. The damage of a conscious spearfishing is almost inexstent. Especially if compared with the industrial fishing and trawling.

BTW I think in Thailand spearfishing is allowed outside of course the protected areas. (AFAIK

It is allowed but only if the game caught is not protected, it is not in a protected area, and the game is consumed as food and not kept as a pet or sold into the aquarium trade. Also, they can not be caught for the purposes of turning into a souvenir of some kind, like for selling the jaws.

It is allowed but there are many who believe it shouldn't be, and I am one of them. Here is what GreenFins Thailand says about spear fishing. GreenFins is a United Nations program (UNEP) which advocates for responsible reef use in South East Asia. Thailand's GreenFins effort is run through our Phuket Marine Biological Center which is part of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources.

If I posted what I thought of him, I'd get banned.

I did post what I thought of this barbarism that is spear fishing on the news forum, I didn't get banned, but a rain of hate posts came down on me from the <deleted> 'Tarzans' on this forum., may they rot in Hades

A couple of years ago in Phangna bay 2 fishing boats were dragging a 500 metre

net between them across the sea floor which nets everything and they die even if not eaten

Every type of fish is overfished here, crabs are caught and sold with spawn on them

Shark huggers should dive in the north west of Australia, no shortage of sharks to hug their

troll post removed

Are we not killing stuff to eat every day......?

suitable punishment?

Nearly a bulls eye.

Poor sod

Yet another racist post removed.

I would love to see this spearfisherman take a little swim around the Neptune Islands( I would give him a kick off the back off the boat if I was there) in South Australia and see if he can catch anymore sharks, he certainly wouldn't be seeing any sharks the same size as he caught and they wouldn't be Black Tips.

I would love to see this spearfisherman take a little swim around the Neptune Islands( I would give him a kick off the back off the boat if I was there) in South Australia and see if he can catch anymore sharks, he certainly wouldn't be seeing any sharks the same size as he caught and they wouldn't be Black Tips.

Plenty of sharks caught in Australia but only for local consumption no commercial fin fishing

A few sharks catching people at present in Western Australia

There was a similar story a few years ago about a Giant Pacific Octopus being killed near Seattle. They guy who legally killed the animal was blacklisted from most dive shops in the area via social media. He couldn't get a bottle of air anywhere. Probably still can't.

Are we not killing stuff to eat every day......?

you reckon that guy killed a shark for dinner? if he did as nomadjoe pointed out, more the fool him.

Are we not killing stuff to eat every day......?

you reckon that guy killed a shark for dinner? if he did as nomadjoe pointed out, more the fool him.

Someone will be eating it. Be sure about that. Dog, cat, fish, shark, it will be eaten.

Lots of issues for discussion here.

First, nice shot. His not yours.

Secondly, I applaud you for your effort to defend Phuket's marine ecosystem, but it is already done for. Overfishing, and irresponsible fishing are a red herring (excuse the pun). The elephant in the room here is degradation of Phuket's estaurine and riparian milieus. The mangrove, klongs and other nursery areas are entirely toxic due to overdevelopment and inept waste management.

Thirdly, shark is routinely caught by Thais and sold in farang restaurants. Last year, at Nai Thon beach, a Thai restaurant owner purchased a large 8 foot female shark from Thai fishermen. She had a belly full of pups. He then had one of his waiters walk down on the beach amidst the many Russians and other Eurotrash and start fishing with a rod and reel. Two other waiters from this restaurant then covertly floated the dead shark down to where their colleague was fishing and placed the hook in the shark's mouth. The waiter then started screaming that he had a big fish on and proceeded to haul in this massive shark. Within seconds there was a mob of HUNDREDS of Russians ohhing and ahhhing at the waiter's amazing catch. Other staff from the restaurant then came down and they carried the shark up to an old longtail that is set up in the restaurant to sell seafood. The Russian mob followed and there was a photo op frenzy as fat middle aged Russian women stuck their head inside the sharks mouth while their fat sunburnt husbands clicked madly away with their copy iphones and tablets. During the height of the photo session, the Thai owner of the restaurant had one of his staff announce (in Russian and English) that the shark would be barbequed that night and anyone that wanted it should pay now in advance to book a fillet. He was swamped with immediate orders.

The problems faced by the marine environment here in Phuket are far more complex, and sinister, than one Eurotrash d_ckhead who thinks he looks cool carrying a dead shark over his shoulder.

Good luck with your crusade.

great business accumen for a Thai. i almost can't believe it...

Its a fish and his cousins eat people...fair game in my opinion...at least it was one on one, no outboard motor to chase it and call it 'culture'....

Watched a guy shoot and eat a Binturong the other day...told him it was vulnerable but he just laughed then ate it.

Are we not killing stuff to eat every day......?

Dont include me, i am 100 percent Strict Vegetarian, and have been for years.

No ''Beef Stock,Chicken Stock,Fish Stock''...

My beliefs are i dont have the right to kill a living thing, for my pleasure...

just my two cents worth...