A pair of laughing anglers who recorded themselves pouring what's thought to be booze down a fish's throat before tossing it back into the lake have been branded "inhumane."
Shocking video footage, which has since gone viral, shows a man wearing gloves gripping an open-mouthed fish, repeatedly telling his friend to "give that N**** some."
The friend, holding a bottle of pale brown-coloured liquid believed to be alcohol, pours some of its contents down the helpless fish's throat.
A woman can be heard exclaiming "oh my god" in the background, but the pair simply laugh and throw the fish back into the lake.
Alcohol is extremely toxic for fish, it can kill them as it stops their gills from working normally.
The incident is thought to have taken place in Massachusetts, US, with the video having been shared more than 30,000 times on Facebook.
It received mixed responses, and while some users found it funny, many are claiming it to be "animal abuse" and "inhumane."
Others told the anglers to "have respect for wildlife", branding them "f***ing stupid".
The American Sportfishing Association have also weighed in, expressing their "disappointment" in the footage, saying they do "not condone" behaviour which "unnecessarily" causes harm to fish or other marine life.
One user said: "I didn't find this funny at all. An animal and y'all are just saying f**k this animal and its life? It's mouth is open because it can't breathe. This is so wrong."
A second said: "Have respect for wildlife. This is disgusting."
A spokesperson for The American Sportfishing Association said: "The American Sportfishing Association does not condone any actions that unnecessarily cause harm to fish or other marine life and is disappointed to see this video.
"As an assocaition, we have a strong record of promoting practices that improve the survival or caught-and-released fish, such has through our FishSmart program.
"It is important that anglers uphold our conservation heritage both for the benefit of fish as well as to maintain the general public's support for sustainable fishing."
The American Sportfishing Association was established in 1933, and aims to look out for the interests of the sportfishing industry and recreational fishing community.
They created a network in the community, and have been vocal about policies for "sensible fisheries", as well as becoming a leader in conservation throughout the years.
The person believed to have shot the footage has been contacted for comment.
