After the incident that occurred last week in San Andrés, where a foreign tourist died after being bitten by a shark, hunting for these animals increased, causing concern to local authorities.
Several cases have been reported through social networks in which citizens catch sharks and in some cases even torture them to death.
Therefore, the Corporation for the Sustainable Development of the Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina, Coralina, warned that it is necessary to stop shark hunting and recalled that this activity generates heavy sanctions such as being deprived of liberty in a prison center.
Coralina recalled that sharks play a very important role in maintaining balance in marine ecosystems, so despite the incident that occurred, the indiscriminate hunting of these animals cannot continue.
Likewise, the entity highlighted that as predators in the food chain, sharks help maintain the balance of marine life in the ocean. In addition, they regulate the variety and abundance of species below them in the food chain.
It should be recalled that sharks have protection by regulation at the national level and additionally local protection within the framework of popular action that has obliged all authorities to protect them for more than 14 years.
The death of the tourist in San Andrés
According to the information issued by Coralina, the shark attack was recorded last Friday, March 18 in the sector near Pox Hole popularly known as the Piscinita, which corresponds, according to the zoning of the Marine Protected Area, with a large conservation area, next to some areas of special use, where it is not allow the extraction of natural resources.
In that place, a tourist from Italy apparently ignored the warning not to swim in that place. While in that place, the shark appeared that bit him on one of the thighs. Apparently the wound was so severe that the man practically bled out.
The Italian, identified as Antonio Roseto Degli Abruzzi, 56, was taken to Clarence Lynd Newball Hospital, where he arrived without vital signs.
According to the environmental authority, it was possible to identify that these are two large tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier), whose identification was confirmed by experts at the national level.
“This is one of the species with wide distribution in the countries of the Greater Caribbean that usually stays in deep water during the day and feeds in shallow waters at night. There are reports of this species throughout the archipelago; however, it is rare to have sightings during the day,” Coralina said after what happened on Friday.
Sandra Bessudo, director of the Malpelo Foundation, said in Red Más that sharks are attracted by the potting of humans, and they are mistaken for their prey, which would be scarce in the waters of the archipelago due to overfishing.
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