For our animal lovers, especially those, like myself, who adore our Canine friends, this next animal story is heart wrenching!
The French controlled Island of Reunion, a volcanic land, small in size, off the East coast of Africa is being very closely monitored by the French Government. According to several animal activist groups and animal protective services, a small group of amateur fishermen living on this Island are catching stray dogs and cats. These animals are then being used as live bait for shark fishing. The fishermen of Reunion feel that due to the over abundance of strays on their Island, they should be allowed to catch and use them considering it helps to decrease the stray population.
Once caught, the fishermen attach large fishing hooks to these poor animals by hooking them through their snouts and paws. These tortured animals are then left to bleed for about 24 hrs, because the blood attracts the sharks. The next evening these tortured animals are attached to inflatable tubes with fishing line and dumped in to the ocean. The next morning these tubes are collected along with their catch of sharks.
The French Embassy in Washington D.C. along with the French Government, issued a written warning to the people on and around the Island of Reunion demanding these barbaric acts of cruelty come to an immediate stop, expressing that the act of using live stray animals for shark bait will not be tolerated. Fines implemented for anyone caught practicing this horrendous act and for any fishermen caught with living or dead dogs or cats on their fishing boats.
Animal activists have been fighting for laws to stop this cruel behavior for a decade. the laws are finally in place, the French Government and the politicians of Reunion have expressed to the world that there shores are being very closely monitored, arrests are being made and this problem is quickly being brought to a stop!
Although the original article was posted by Maryann Mott
for National Geographic News on October 19, 2005
It still to this day gets referred to because of its viscous nature
and to remind us of the atrocities humans are capable of.
For more information see the following article:
Dogs Used as Shark Bait on French Island
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