Click Bait: The New Shark Poaching Crisis

Across Florida beaches, fishermen armed with drones, stingray bait, and massive reels are targeting sharks for the camera. These videos - often uploaded to TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube - depict anglers dragging varied species of sharks, including the threatened great hammerhead, onto the sand, delaying release to pose for photos. 

Even worse, some influencers reframe their actions as “rescues,” editing their content as if they had stumbled upon a stranded animal and heroically intervened. Their only consequence being increased engagement and going viral.  

How do you know if the shark-saving content you’re viewing is real? Odds are, it’sprobably not. “It’s not common to find sharks stranded on the beach,” said Spencer Roberts, a marine ecologist in the University of Miami’s environmental science and policy department. “So, this idea of coming across a shark stranded on the beach like a dolphin is a misconception.” 

The deception doesn’t stop with influencers themselves. Roberts pointed out how automated content accounts remix clips of these land-based shark catches into feel-good montages, often captioned as if a shark had washed ashore and was aided by bystanders. 

“People want to see sharks being rescued. The viewers are believing that the animals are being rescued when they’re being deliberately caught and, in many cases, dying as a result of this type of fishing.” 

According to a study conducted in partnership with Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi, NOAA Fisheries, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, more than one-fourth (10 of 33) tagged sharks caught by land-based shark fishing died within six weeks,seven of them within 10 hours.  

Roberts, who studies the conservation of endangered fish, with a focus on sharks, can’t stress these statistics enough. “Keep in mind, these handling methods should be considered the best-case scenario.” He notes that in the study, a scientist is on-scene, the shark is kept in the water, and the release is made as quickly as possible. “We know that's not how land-based fishing typically goes down.” 

Florida’s rules are clear: prohibited species must be kept in the water, released quickly, and handled minimally. Yet Roberts said online influencers regularly ignore these protections, extending the release for a photo opportunity. “The photo they want is holding the shark’s mouth open with the teeth exposed. Meanwhile, the shark is suffocating, and its organs are being crushed under its own weight,” he said. 

While states like Massachusetts have banned drone fishing and restricted shark-targeting gear, Florida has lagged behind. Roberts pointed to Marco Island, Navarre Beach, and Palm Beach as hotspots where shark fishing thrives. 

He has reported dozens of violations to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) but said he has “never been contacted back about a single one of them.” Other states, like New York, have acknowledged reports of violations, though follow-up is unclear. 

Roberts is beginning to organize a volunteer-supported database of online shark fishing content, which he hopes will build a scientific case for stronger enforcement. He is seeking remote volunteers from around the world to help identify species, locations, and potential violations on social media platforms. Those interested can reach him at info@fishdefender.org, through Instagram @fish_defender, or through his website fishdefender.org. 

Roberts also places responsibility on the platforms themselves. While some accounts have been briefly suspended, he says tech companies have largely failed to restrict shark poaching content. “Social media platforms should not be allowing poaching content on their feeds,” he said. “It would be a lot easier if they just restricted depictions of sharks being dragged onto the beach altogether.” 

Roberts encourages anyone concerned to speak up, both online and in their communities. “The easiest thing you can do is sign our petition,” he said, referring to Change.org/stopsharkpoaching. He also recommends reporting illegal fishing videos to platforms and agencies and supporting local ordinances that ban shark fishing from beaches. 

“You don’t need to be a scientist to help,” Roberts said. “You can be anywhere in the world, and you can help track this activity. The more people we have documenting violations, the harder it is for regulators and platforms to ignore.” 

The same shores where sharks are now hauled up for likes could one day be places of protection, respect, and awe. That vision is what drives Roberts’ work, and it’s a vision that anyone who has ever marveled at the sea can share in. With enough voices raised, the rescue story social media pretends to tell might become real.