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Retired engineer Peter Smith, 64, of Berkhamsted, Herts, was attacked by a bull shark off the Caribbean island last week, and sustained such serious injuries he was airlifted to Florida for treatment
The shark that left a British man fighting for his life may have been enticed by displaced turtles after their nests were illegally destroyed.
Islanders on Tobago claim a channel was dug by an irate landowner who had grown frustrated by a river that had flooded his land. Machinery allegedly disturbed a nesting site for endangered leatherback turtles. A day later, retired engineer Peter Smith, 64, of Berkhamsted, Herts, was attacked by a bull shark, leaving him with injuries to his left arm and leg, abdomen and right hand. As videos emerged of the excavation work, dozens of islanders expressed fury.
Bernadette Polo blasted: “This is so shameful. I did say something had to attract the shark. All the experts said this event was unusual.” Annisa Kissoon said: “That landowner needs to be held accountable. Prosecution to the highest.”
Amit Singh added: “Turtle eggs are very fresh. That’s why the sharks are coming.” Experts have confirmed to the Mirror that displacing turtle eggs or hatchlings into the sea would attract sharks.
The Caribbean island has the third largest nesting population in the world, with the nesting season peaking between March and June. Leatherback turtles are protected by law as an environmentally sensitive species, and officials have vowed justice. The Environmental Management Authority said that penalties include two years in prison and a fine of nearly £120,000.
Mr Smith, who had been waist-deep in water when a bull shark attacked him in Courland Bay, is recovering in Miami, Florida, supported by his wife Joanna. On Monday, authorities closed a beach in Menorca after a 7ft blue shark was spotted at the Arenal d’en Castell resort.
The Mirror has previously reported how Mr Smith was flown to Florida to undergo further treatment for his gruesome injuries. “He was airlifted out of Tobago at approximately 12:05 on Tuesday morning, arriving in Miami at 3:51am,” Tobago’s Health Secretary Dr Faith B.Yisrael told The Mirror