FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TORONTO, AUGUST 8, 2016 –Louisburg, Nova Scotia is holding a shark killing contest this weekend, promoted by The Louisbourg Shark Fishing Derby and licensed by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
The goal of the contest is to kill sharks as a form of entertainment, with fund-raising and research used as an excuse for the killing.
Cruel Science & Blood Money
“The federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans justifies killing the sharks by collecting research information from the sharks” said Liz White, Director, Animal Alliance of Canada. “Surely the Department has more sophisticated scientific methods to study these animals than participating in a killing contest.”
“The shark-killing derby was also presented as a fund-raising event for charities to whitewash the brutal sport,” said White. “Why would any charity take such ‘blood money’ raised by killing sharks”, White continued. “Why subject pain, suffering and death on sharks just for a buck.”
Populations in Peril
“Given the concern for shark populations worldwide, and their critical importance to all ocean ecosystems, we call upon both the federal government to stop issuing the contest licenses and to put an end to the gratuitous killing,” said Barry MacKay, spokesperson for Born Free. “Ocean ecosystems are already very compromised. The federal government should promote the conservation and protection of sharks. Not a “fun” day on the water killing them.”
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