Thursday, October 15, 2009

Dogs used as shark bait


I stumbled over a group, on Facebook of course, that claimed people are using live dogs as shark bait. The picture, and the text, was so terrifying I had to do some research. I simply could not believe that this thing was true. And from the comments I read all over the net, I was not alone. Many people simply claimed that all was a hoax.

Well. Let's see what I found:

National Geographic, 19 October 2005:

"Dogs Used as Shark Bait on French Island

Live and dead dogs and cats are being used as shark bait by amateur fishers on the French-controlled island of Réunion, according to animal-welfare organizations and local authorities."

The Sun, 28 Sep 2005:

"Stray dogs are being skewered on hooks and dragged behind boats as live shark bait, The Sun can shockingly reveal. The cruel practice takes place on French-controlled Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean, where Prince William spent two holidays."

ThruthOrFiction.com, 16 Feb 2009:

"In September of 2005, the government of Réunion responded to the outcries by passing into law a bill that would make it illegal for fishing boats to carry any dogs or cats, alive or dead.

Shortly after the law was enacted the article said "the first court case was held involving a person charged with using live dogs as bait. Authorities had found a seven-month-old puppy on John Claude Clain's property in July with three fishing hooks in its paws and snout." This resulted in a 5000 euro fine for Clain."

So the conclusion is; Sadly enough, they really use (or, at least used) live dogs as shark bait.