Group of men drag shark out of water and onto beach to pose with it for selfies

A group of men have been filmed hauling a shark onto a beach and posing for selfies with it.

The men were spotted on Adelaide beach, Australia, pulling the shark out of water and then releasing it back into the sea after getting a few snaps.

Witnesses watched on in horror as the shark appeared to be distressed.

One onlooker, Asha Reilly, told 9News: "These men yelling at us saying 'get out of the water, there's a shark', and we sort of ran out thinking they were joking.

"They eventually hooked it with a rope - they tied it on it's tail - and they just had it on the beach, taking photos.

One bystander said the shark was clearly unable to breath (www.9news.com.au)

"They'd beached it and it clearly couldn't breath.

"I felt sick to the stomach and I could see other people were as well. It was just horrible."

In the video, bystanders are seen questioning the group's actions.

One person is heard saying: "Are you proud of yourself?" to which one of the men replies: "Yeah".

Catching and releasing sharks is a common practice in South Australia, and it is unclear whether the groups actions were illegal.

It is not clear whether their actions were illegal as the species is not known (www.9news.com.au)

The Department of Primary Industries and Regions say that catching and releasing sharks should be done with proper handling and care.

There must be "ethical and humane treatment of captured animals ", which the department says is "vital to the survival, sustainable management and conservation of sharks and rays".

They have instructed that "if possible, release the shark or ray without landing it and whilst it is in the water".

The Department of Primary Industries was unable to identify the species captured in the video.

Guidelines state that catch and release should be done ethically and humanely (www.9news.com.au)

Earlier this year, shocking images surfaced of fishermen in Sydney catching a 64 stone mega tiger shark on a tiny boat.

The huge beast died after a 45-minute struggle and was taken to the port to weigh.

Tiger sharks are not an officially endangered species, but their population is threatened.

Game fishing is a common sport in Australia, but has received heavy criticism from animal cruelty activists.

PETA, a animal rights organisation, said that the number of large fish species in Australian waters has declined by 30% in the past decade.

At least four species of sharks and skates unique to Australia are at an extreme risk of extinction.