A bounty of $10,000, like in the film Jaws, was put up by authorities in the Caribbean island of Tobago creating a stir following a shark attack on a British tourist from Hertfordshire before it was withdrawn
A TT$10,000 bounty was offered for anyone able to catch the shark that attacked a Brit tourist in Tobago before being withdrawn by authorities.
The man, identified by local officials as a 64-year-old from Hertfordshire, was savaged 10 metres off the shore near the Starfish Hotel in Courland Bay, on the north coast of Tobago on Friday morning. He sustained injuries to his left hand, left thigh, and stomach following the attack involving a bull shark estimated to be eight to 10 ft long and two ft wide, the Tobago House of Assembly said.
And following the attack the Tobago House of Assembly issued a call for all registered fishermen on the island to mobilise their crews with a $10,000 Trinidadian dollars (£1,180) bounty for anyone who caught the shark. The announcement recalled the bounty that was offered in the film 1975 film Jaws where $10,000 was offered for anyone to catch a shark that killed a young woman off the coast of New England, in the US. It led to an amateur shar-hunting frenzy before the predator was finally killed.
But Tobago Chief Secretary Farley Augustine gave a Facebook press briefing on Friday evening where he claimed there had been confusion over the reward and that it was being retracted. “I’ve asked for the ad to be retracted effective immediately and I’ve asked that the fishers work along with the Coast Guard, work along with the divers and other stakeholders to expertly man the area,” he said.
“While the department is recalling the advertisement, I’m letting you know that there are experts who will expertly treat the matter of dealing with the bull shark.” The announcement of the reward and then its removal led to plenty of criticism online while a conservation group also said of the dangers to the shark habitat by hunting before the retraction was made.
Shark Guardian wrote on Facebook: “Yesterday (26 April 2024), a British national fell victim to a non fatal shark encounter while enjoying a vacation in Tobago. Such incidents, although distressing, are exceedingly rare, often resulting from human error or misjudgement. It’s essential to remember that sharks, ancient creatures with a history spanning over 400 million years, play a vital role in maintaining the health and equilibrium of ocean ecosystems.
“In response to the attack, the Tobago House of Assembly, led by Chief Secretary Farley Augustine, has announced a $10,000 bounty on the shark responsible. However, this decision could have severe consequences, as it may encourage indiscriminate hunting of sharks by fishermen and others. Given that sharks already face significant threats, with an estimated 100 million individuals lost annually, such actions could further jeopardize their survival.”
Meanwhile, Mr Augustine said the shark victim was stable and “doing well”, but remained in an intensive care unit and kept under sedation at Scarborough General Hospital. He went on: “Some reattachments were done, of fingers for example, and hopefully that will save those fingers.
“We know that there’s significant wounds on one of his legs that cannot be completely closed, but he will require extensive work. The task at this time for our health professionals is really to stabilise and ensure that we can save life and limb as much as possible.” Mr Augustine added that the local government was working closely with the British High Commission.