The New York state governor, Andrew Cuomo, and his news anchor brother Chris have been criticised by conservationists and constituents after posing beside a threatened shark they killed on a fishing trip.
The governor tweeted two photos of himself and friends standing next to the bloodied shark as it hung from a marina-side gantry.
“Today’s catch: A 154.5-lb [70kg] Thresher shark off the south shore of Long Island,” Cuomo tweeted.
All three species of thresher shark are listed as vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) because of their declining populations. Fishing for them is regulated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration but it is not illegal.
Despite its legality, the UN’s patron of the oceans, Lewis Pugh, said the killing and subsequent photos were “abhorrent” and worked against those trying to conserve dwindling shark numbers.
“The environment is the primary issue on the global agenda, so it is extraordinary that a senior politician could be so ignorant about it,” he said.
“Apex predators such as sharks are crucial for the ocean ecosystems. For a public figure to kill such an animal and then boast about it on social media is dangerously irresponsible. This shows a clear lack of judgment and calls to question his capability as a public leader.”
Melissa De Rossa, Cuomo’s chief of staff, also tweeted the photo, adding that the governor had caught the fish with his brother, the co-anchor of New Day, CNN’s morning news programme.
Today's catch: A 154.5-lb Thresher shark off the south shore of Long Island. #IFISHNY pic.twitter.com/AsCgEEBxtk
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) August 28, 2016
The photos sparked an immediate frenzy on social media and in wider conservation circles.
“How Governor Andrew Cuomo has reached high office seemingly unaware of the crisis facing some of the world’s shark populations is beyond me,” said John Hourston, the founder of online pressure group Blue Planet Society. He said the imagery was on a par with the photo of the US dentist who posed with Cecil the lion which sparked international condemnation last year.
“To blithely post a picture of himself on social media grinning next to a threatened animal killed by his own hands shows an almost unfathomable lack of judgment for a public servant, and sets a terrible example to the world,” said Hourston.
Meanwhile on Long Island, catch of the day goes to Gov Cuomo...with an assist from @chriscuomo pic.twitter.com/9ssErgVtJA
— Melissa DeRosa (@melissadderosa) August 28, 2016
Below his tweet, dozens of commenters lambasted Cuomo for insensitivity and poor judgment.
“I don’t know what is more disgusting, if [sic] killing that shark or bragging about it,” said one Floridian follower Ana Maria. “Not a fan of yours anymore. So disappointed Mr. Cuomo. So disappointed.”
Long Islander Phil Kohler said: “That’s a damned shame. That poor animal is far more impressive in the sea than on your dock.”
A spokesperson for Cuomo said: “This is an edible game fish that is indigenous to New York waters and catching them is allowable under both state and federal regulations.”
In July, the Guardian revealed dozens of companies sponsoring shark hunting tournaments that were criticised for killing threatened sharks rather than catching and releasing them.
