PETA Wants Florida Wildlife Officials to Investigate Von Miller After Catching 9-Foot Hammerhead Shark
OutdoorHub Reporters 04.04.18
Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller has come under fire following a recent fishing trip where he and his friends reeled in a 9-and-a-half foot hammerhead shark off the coast of Miami.
After a long battle with the shark, Miller posted video of the catch on social media. The crew, which was following instructions from a fishing tour guide, had not intended on catching hammerhead sharks, and you can see their surprise in the video below:
.@VonMiller‘s fishing trip in Miami was eventful 🦈 pic.twitter.com/5STErS3THT
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 30, 2018
After seeing the footage, an official from PETA told Newsweek they plan to “ensure Miller is held accountable if killing this animal was, as we suspect illegal.”
Miller is frequently seen enjoying the outdoors, and often posts photo and video from his fishing and hunting expeditions to his social media accounts. He also has a Facebook show “Studio 58” where he talks more about his adventures with other athletes.
Aside from a photo showing the Super Bowl 50 MVP posing with the huge shark, there is no evidence that suggests the shark was killed.
Von Miller posing with Cam Newton after Super Bowl 50 pic.twitter.com/W4RZqOlXn3
— Laces Out (@LacesOutShow) March 30, 2018
Certainly, that didn’t stop PETA from trying to bring down Miller, as they filed a complaint with the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, to which TMZ reports FWC spokesman Rob Klepper stated:
“The FWC has received the images and video and is looking into whether or not a violation occurred in this incident.”
Under Florida law, harvesting hammerhead sharks in state waters is considered a second-degree misdemeanor, and is punishable by up to 60 days in jail and/or a $500 fine, according to the FWC website. The catch and release of hammerheads, as Miller claims happened, is not punishable by law.
