A large megamouth shark, believed to be weighing 300 kilograms, accidentally got stuck in a fishnet off the coast of Baloy in Cagayan de Oro City early Friday. However, it was eventually killed by fishermen who claimed the shark dangerously dragged their boat towards the open sea.
In an interview with a local radio station, one fisherman said the shark was feeding on the small fishes they caught in the net. Because of its large mouth, the net got stuck in its mouth which caused it to drag the boat towards the sea and endanger the fishermen.
The fisherman said that was why he hit the shark with his spear and drag it towards the shore, where it died.
About 10 people carried the shark offshore where they decided to chop the animal to three large pieces.
The City Agriculture Office said they are still waiting for representatives from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to decide on the issue.
Megamouth sharks are known to live from near the surface to as deep as 15,000 feet (4600 m). According to a report by Oceana, it is believed that they only come near the surface at night and often spend most of their lives in the dark.
Only 60 of them have been observed by scientists. Their population is unknown.
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