A tourism official has been slammed after catching a rare shark and posting a smug selfie with its corpse online.
Remo Monzeglio claimed it was only the second time he’d ever gone fishing and didn’t realise the shark was a protected species.
The 72-year-old posted a photo of himself, posing with the dead animal, on Saturday (14 Feb).
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He captioned the snap: “Fishing day and a small hammerhead shark came out!”
But the former vice-president of the Uruguayan Ministry of Tourism deleted the post after it sparked outrage online.
Remo, a prominent Uruguayan hotelier with more than 50 years’ experience, said he caught the juvenile hammerhead shark off the coast of Sauce de Portezuelo in southern Uruguay.
After reeling in the shark, he claimed he removed the hook but it promptly died, so he did not return it to the sea.
Hours later, the former government official issued a public apology, saying: “In life, one can make mistakes consciously or unconsciously.
“What one shouldn’t do is evade responsibility.
“At the time, I didn’t realise it was a protected species.”
He explained: “The crazy thing is that a friend used a croaker fish as bait and threw in the head.
“It violently and repeatedly struck the lower part of the boat’s hull and between the motor blades, to the point that when it was brought aboard and the hook was removed, it was lifeless and was not returned to the sea.”
Remo said he later reported the incident to the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries, as reported by Need To Know.
He added that it was only the second time he had ever gone fishing and is inexperienced in the field.
“Honestly, I acted out of ignorance, which does not exempt me from responsibility, which I will face as the good person I pride myself on being,” he added.
One furious local said: “You’re a son of a b****, I hope you get a hefty fine for being an idiot.”
Marianela said: “This is illegal! A trophy from a crime. A monstrosity. Were these individuals really part of the government? No respect for the ecosystem, for biodiversity, or for life.”
Gabriel said: “It’s a protected species, and you took the hook out and it died? Hmmm, it had a heart attack? What a story!”
Hammerhead sharks are critically endangered due to overfishing and high-value fin demand.
They are protected internationally under CITES Appendix II.
It’s unclear if the former vice minister will face legal action for allegedly deliberately killing the shark.
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