An individual was cited for “waste of fish” and could face civil restitution for leaving the corpses of two decapitated sharks and other marine animals strewn across a beach, according to a Facebook post from the Padre Island National Seashore.
The remains of the two sharks were next to a deceased and mutilated stingray and about 15 mostly intact dead crabs, the post said.
Recommended Videos
National Parks Service law enforcement and the Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD) located the animals in early August.
A joint team of NPS rangers, TPWD officials and others located a suspect who confessed to decapitating the sharks, harvesting meat and leaving the bodies to rot, the post said.
TPWD issued multiple citations for the waste of fish. The department said it would also seek civil restitution for the assessed monetary value of the sharks. A specific value was not immediately known.
While it is legal to fish and harvest sharks in Texas, it is unlawful to leave them or bait fish taken from public waters “to die without the intent to retain the fish for consumption or bait,” the post said.
If you witness a wildlife crime, please call the TPWD Operation Game Thief (OGT) hotline at 1-800-792-GAME (4263). OGT offers rewards of up to $1,000 for information leading to the conviction of a wildlife crime.
Visitors interested in fishing at the park must follow state regulations to help ensure the viability of shark and fish populations, the post said.
More information on fishing can be found here.