Latest news with #FishAndWildlife
New York Times
06-06-2025
- New York Times
Florida Fisherman Is Charged in Shark Stabbing
A charter fisherman in Florida was charged with animal cruelty after a video showed him stabbing a shark multiple times, according to the authorities. The fisherman, Zane P. Garrett, 26, of Stock Island in the Florida Keys, was arrested by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission on Thursday and charged with the felony count. Law enforcement officials received tips on May 23 about a man 'repeatedly stabbing a shark on a fishing line before cutting the line and releasing the animal,' the agency said in a statement. It was unclear if the shark survived. A video, which has since been widely circulated, shows a man stabbing the shark with a knife and includes a caption that reads 'bud broke my rod.' Conservation agents located Mr. Garrett's boat in Key West and identified him as the charter captain on the day of the attack. He later admitted to the stabbing. It was not immediately clear what potential penalties Mr. Garrett might face. 'The careless cruelty displayed in this video is unacceptable,' said Maj. Alberto Maza, the South B regional commander of the state's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. 'I'm proud of the public for reporting this senseless act and our officers' work in identifying the subject and holding him accountable.' According to WPLG Local 10 in Miami, an arrest warrant stated that Mr. Zane attacked the shark because it had stolen his fish. Mr. Zane declined to comment when reached by phone on Friday. According to his website, Mr. Zane operates Second Nature Charters in Key West, with prices starting at $900 for four hours of tarpon fishing. The charter boat is a 37-foot Torres sport fishing vessel that can accommodate up to six passengers. 'With Captain Zane at the helm, every fishing excursion becomes an unforgettable journey filled with camaraderie, laughter, and, most importantly, epic catches that will be cherished for a lifetime,' according to the site. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission said that sharks have been known to take fish off a line or bite boat motors, 'an unfortunate side effect of healthy and sustainable shark populations.' The commission's advice: Move to another area away from shark activity. In May, another Florida charter fisherman was sentenced to 30 days for shooting and poisoning dolphins from his boat, including doing so once in front of two school-aged children. The captain was frustrated with the dolphins for stealing his catch, investigators said at the time.
Daily Mail
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Wild video of Washington woman digging for seafood delicacy goes viral
A Washington woman has gone viral after being filmed almost completely submerged underwater while digging for a seafood delicacy. Amber Fauci, an Arizona native, dove head first into the sand during her first ever time hunting for geoduck clams. In a video demonstrating the process, Fauci is seen struggling to pull herself out of the hole in her attempt to catch the saltwater clam. Geoduck clams are the world's largest burrowing clam, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. On average, they reach just over two to two-and-a-half pounds - including the shell, and can live up to 150 years. The woman recording the video, Michelle Weaver, told Fox 13 that it's important to remain still and stay vigilant for water shooting out of the sand. 'So we dug out quite a bit of sand first, and you get to that point where you gotta reach deeper - and I'm short. I am five-foot-one, so I don't have really long arms, so I'm in there, and I saw that opportunity,' Fauci told the outlet. 'Anybody who's gotten their feet stuck [in the sand] knows how far it suctions you down. 'So I'm sitting there trying to pull myself up from the sand, and that's the struggle everybody thought was, "Oh my gosh, she's stuck." I wasn't stuck,' Fauci continued. 'But I knew the tide was coming up, and that's when I decided to come up. It was when the tide hit my nose. I didn't feel like holding my breath, so that was when I started struggling to come up.' Fauci emerged up, sand and water over her hand, before fellow diver, Tyler Weaver, grabbed the geoduck and pulled it from the sand near the end of the video. He said that after digging three to four feet deep, a geoduck diver has to move quickly before it gets away. They used a 'geoduck gun' that has been in Tyler's family for three generations of his family, the outlet reported. Michelle described the device as a 'glorified soup pot that has no bottom, that clearly can fit an entire human in it.' 'That helps from the water - from the tide coming in, or the sand falling in while you're trying to dig, because there's nothing like digging and then a whole pile of sand lands right where you just dug,' she said. Comments on the viral video were stunned by Fauci's dedicated hunting attempt. 'I'm sorry WHAT ma'am did you almost drown for a [geoduck]?' one said. 'Her moving around was scaring me like I was thinking she needed help and I'm like WHY ARE STANDING AROUND LAUGHING AT HER GET HER OUTTT but she good,' another said. One wrote: 'I didn't see the tube at first and thought she was just stuck in the sand and water. Didn't understand why everyone was so chill.' After their hunting efforts proved successful, the group took the geoducks and celebrated with clam and geoduck chowder. Michelle described Fauci as a 'legit badass' for her 'geoduck digging dedication.'
CBS News
19-05-2025
- CBS News
California county declares state of emergency over gray wolf activity
SHASTA COUNTY – A Northern California county has declared a local state of emergency as residents report more gray wolf incidents. Shasta County supervisors adopted the state of emergency declaration last week. The emergency declaration comes as rural Shasta County residents report more encounters with gray wolves – including attacks on livestock. "These wolves are showing no fear of people and are attacking livestock near family homes. We need better tools and immediate action to keep our rural communities safe," said Corkey Harmon, the Shasta County supervisor who sponsored the resolution, in a statement. Officials say, since late 2024, multiple cattle and other livestock deaths linked to wolves have been confirmed in eastern Shasta County. Supervisors also sent a letter to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife asking for help in protecting the public from wolves. Shasta County residents are being urged to report possible wolf sightings to Fish and Wildlife. Both Modoc and Lassen counties have also adopted similar emergency declarations against wolves in recent days. Wolves are an endangered species in California that, at one point, had disappeared from the state before returning in recent years. Fish and Wildlife has been closely monitoring the state's wolf population, with seven wolf packs having been confirmed.
Daily Mail
18-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Cruel Jeep driver who deliberately massacred 25 seagulls by mowing them down on a beach is jailed
A vacationing Jeep driver who deliberately mowed down 25 seagulls on a beach has been jailed for 30 days. James Shephard Travis, 64, pleaded guilty to first-degree animal cruelty and reckless driving in Pacific County Superior Court in Washington. He faced up to five years in jail and a $10,000 fine, but accepted a plea bargain offered by prosecutors and was locked up in the county jail. Travis slaughtered the seagulls about 8pm on July 27 last year on Klipsan Beach near Ocean Park, Washington, in front of shocked beachgoers. Witnesses said the rented silver Jeep Wrangler was 'drifting sideways past stuck vehicles and people' at 50mph to 60mph. A mother and nine-year-old son said they were almost run over while walking their dogs as the SUV sped up and down the beach. Travis initially tried to excuse his seagull mass murder by protesting there weren't any signs stating that people should look out for birds on the beach. Judge Donald Richter deferred 20 days of the 30-day sentence and made Travis eligible for parole after a week behind bars. He must also complete 160 hours of community service near his home in Hawaii and pay a $750 fine. He was also banned from owning animals. Travis was identified by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Police after a witness snapped photos of him behind the wheel of the bloodstained car. Kim Ledyard McGee said she, her wife Bob, and friend Dorothy Howard witnessed him speed along the beach and swerve into the birds. 'We watched him plow through the flock without slowing down at all, and did not swerve to avoid any birds,' Howard told police. Soon after, they saw the Jeep coming back and Bob blocked it with his car, which was when they confronted Travis and took the photos. Travis was 'in a daze' and 'kept saying sorry in a quiet, monotone voice... appeared to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol ', the police report read. 'A few minutes later, he passed us again at a high rate of speed. After the third time, Bob flung our beater truck sideways right in front of [him] forcing him to either hit us or stop,' McGee explained in a Facebook post. 'We jumped out screaming at him... He even still had a dead bird in his grill! After we reamed him out, he still took off at a high speed.' McGee took photos of the driver and the Jeep, which had pieces of seagulls lodged in the grill, along with video of numerous dead birds on the sand. The trio gathered three birds that were still alive to take them to a wildlife center for treatment, 'but sadly they died in our arms'. 'So upset and something I won't be able to un-see or forget,' McGee said. The police report said 'the seagulls had crushing injuries consistent with a vehicle strike'. Travis was in town for the Ilwaco High School class of 1984 reunion, where his wife Gena Snow-Travis, 58, went to school, and they stayed with her parents. Pacific County Undersheriff Mike Wray was at the same reunion, a golf event, and told police he saw Travis there about 2.30pm and believed he was intoxicated. The couple, who have been married for 15 years, flew into Portland Airport and rented the silver 2023 Jeep Wrangler 4xe plug-in hybrid. The car was returned to Budget Rental Car about 8.30pm on July 29 and police examined the car and found feathers still stuck in the grill. Travis and his wife had flown back to their home in Honolulu, where Snow-Travis works as a real estate agent for Private Homes Hawai'i. Police repeatedly called and texted Snow-Travis and she eventually replied: 'Thank you! I have given Jim the information. He will be contacting you soon. Aloha.' However, the police report said Travis never made contact with investigators. 'Travis drove in a reckless manner, and at a high rate of speed, nearly striking pedestrians and several dogs,' police said at the time.
CBC
15-05-2025
- CBC
Alberta pilot program to target impaired boaters starting on May long weekend
A new provincial program aimed at cracking down on impaired boating will see fish and wildlife officers start administering breathalyzer tests on lakes and rivers in central Alberta for the summer months. This new pilot program to target impaired boaters in "key areas" of the province will begin on Friday and run until Sept. 1, the province said. Previously, fish and wildlife officers did not administer breathalyzer tests. In a news release Thursday, the province said the new program will focus on lakes and rivers around Spruce Grove, Wetaskiwin, Ponoka, Camrose, and Red Deer. The release states that if there is a reasonable suspicion that a boat operator has consumed alcohol, fish and wildlife officers can now administer breath tests and can arrest the operator if they are impaired. Penalties for operating a boat while impaired may include suspension of driver's licence, fines, prohibition from operating a boat, and possible prison terms. According to the Lifesaving Society and Drowning Research Centre Canada, 50 per cent of boating-relating water fatalities in Alberta involve alcohol consumption. "Alberta families have a right to enjoy our beautiful summers safely. The pilot program we've announced today sends a clear message: impaired boating has no place on Alberta's waterways. Full stop," said Alberta's Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services Mike Ellis. "Operating a boat while impaired is just as dangerous and illegal as driving a car impaired. I want to commend our fish and wildlife officers for taking concrete steps to prevent accidents and keep Albertans safe."
