Santo Domingo. – The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, through the National Environmental Protection Service (SENPA), arrested two fishermen among a group of fishermen who captured and beat to death a bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) on the beach of Nizao, province of Peravia.

In a video posted on social networks, we observe how a group of people mercilessly beat the animal, a deplorable and unjustifiable action that goes against the guidelines for the protection, conservation and care of these species. Likewise, they used an illegal fishing technique using a trawl.

The Dominican Republic prohibits the capture and marketing of species such as sharks, rays, herbivorous reef fish and sea urchins, as well as their products.

About the bull shark

The bull shark is a solitary or small-group species that likes to be left alone. Bull sharks are found in coastal waters around the world. Unlike most sharks, bull sharks can survive in fresh water for long periods of time.

They can measure up to 3.2 m in length and weigh up to 159 kg. The average for males is 2.1m and for females 2.2m. It has a massive body with two large dorsal fins and an elongated tail with a long upper lobe and a precaudal beak. They are primary predators that maintain the health of ecosystems, and without their presence, fish production would decline and ecosystems would become unhealthy.