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| Dogs
used as Shark Bait
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| There
won’t be many of us who haven’t heard about this by
now. Originally published by The Sun newspaper in October 2005,
the basics of the story are as follows. |
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The
story - live dogs (and cats) were being impaled on large fish hooks
and dragged behind boats or left overnight in the ocean as shark
bait by fisherman on Réunion Island (a French-controlled
territory in the Indian Ocean).
The image - photograph of a purported "bait dog" with
a large hook through its muzzle. |
Lets point out first of all that this story has it’s sceptics.
The story - sceptics of the article put forward theories that range
from media and animal rights groups falling for a hoax to a deliberate
disinformation campaign by activists who seek to end the slaughter
of sharks.
The image - the photo that has generally accompanied the story and
is displayed above, remains a subject of debate. Is it evidence
of a cruel shark-fishing practice on Réunion Island, or is
it a wholly unrelated photograph that has been either mistakenly
or purposefully misused?
Certainly, one of the biggest questions seems to concern whether
any fisherman would use live dog bait as a practical method of shark
fishing. Questions such as 'would dogs even make good shark bait'
and 'would a hook through the snout hold for more than a few minutes'
have all be raised.
Regardless of the whys and wherefores, a recent statement by the
French Embassy did acknowledge the practice and mentioned the recent
prosecution of an amateur fisherman on that island over animal cruelty
charges associated with those described.
Earlier this month the first court case was held involving a person
charged with using live dogs as bait. Authorities found a 7 month
old puppy on John Claude Clain's property in July with three fishing
hooks in its paws and snout. Clain was found guilty of animal cruelty
and fined 5,000 euros. The amateur fisherman denied the claim, stating
that the dog had been injured by a trap he had set to protect his
hens.
However, the French Embassy state that the practice is not as widespread
or tolerated as recent reports have made it seem.
Press Office, Embassy of France:
“We too denounce the barbaric practices you refer to. Such
acts are obviously illegal and will not be tolerated on French territory.”
“The practice of using live dogs or cats as shark bait is
in fact exceptional and isolated. It was never widespread nor traditional,
but introduced by ruthless individuals, and has been strictly banned
for decades now.”
“The authorities [on Reunion Island] are closely monitoring
the situation. All suspicions of such acts will be investigated,
and animal protection organizations that have any specific information
on these matters are strongly encouraged to inform French police
authorities.”
“The French minister for agriculture and fisheries, Dominique
Bussereau, is fully aware of the media and public outcry regarding
this issue, and has written to the French National Assembly to emphasize
that several measures have been taken to strengthen already existing
laws.”
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As animal lovers, we want such news stories to be untrue. Unfortunately
though, even the most appalled and the most sceptical have to concede
that there does seem to be some truth to the claim, even if the
practice is not as widespread or tolerated as recent news stories
implied.
Regardless of whether hordes of fishermen are baiting live dogs
or just a select few, regardless of whether the pictured dog has
really been prepared as shark bait, and regardless of whether baiting
live dogs is even a feasible way to catch sharks, this practice
may not have reached the attention of so many if it hadn’t
been for these recent news stories.
This is certainly the view held by Stephanie Roche of the Brigitte
Bardot Foundation, an animal-welfare group in Paris. The Bardot
organization has been fighting the practice for a decade. “This
is the first time Réunion politicians have reacted strongly
and swiftly to stop it” Roche said.
Animal rights groups such as the RSPCA have taken up the cause of
putting a stop to the barbaric practice and urged animal lovers
to sign petitions urging the French government to step up enforcement
of laws against the use of live dogs as bait. The RSPCA petition
is now closed and will be presented to the French Embassy shortly.
Even if this barbaric act is only carried out by a few “ruthless
individuals” as the French Embassy claim, it is important
to recognize that people have not been silent. A small island in
the Indian Ocean has had to provide answers to concerned people
all over the world. |
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