Three men have been charged with animal cruelty after a video emerged showing a shark being dragged behind a speeding boat.
The brief clip, believed to have been shot off the Florida coast, shows the shark repeatedly hitting the surface of the water while being pulled by a rope from the back of the boat.
As it bounces in the air and flips around, the camera turns to show three men on the boat.
One says “look it’s already almost dead” while the others laugh.
The video went viral in July after it was sent to deep sea fisherman Mark Quartiano, also known as 'Mark the Shark', who shared it on Instagram.
Outraged, he wrote: “CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME [WHAT] IS GOING ON HERE ???? JUST GOT THIS ON MY FEED!
“FOR ONCE I MAY HAVE TO AGREE WITH @PETA. #WHODOESTHISS*** #sowrong #notcool.”
A news release from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) said three men – Michael Wenzel, 21, and Spencer Heintz, 23, and Robert Lee Benac, 28 – had been charged in connection with incident.
They face two felony counts of aggravated animal cruelty. Wenzel and Benac also face a misdemeanour count of illegal method of taking a shark.
FWC chairman Bo Rivard said in a statement: "As we've said since this video and other images came to light, these actions have no place in Florida, where we treasure and conserve our natural resources for everyone.
"We appreciate the patience and support of the public as our law enforcement investigators worked with the Hillsborough County State Attorney's Office to identify a number of serious violations that will be brought to the courts for adjudication.
“It is our hope these charges will send a clear message to others that this kind of behaviour involving our fish and wildlife will not be tolerated."
FWC said that the charges follow a four-month long investigation into the video.
