A mutilated shark has horrified locals after being found washed up on a beach with its fins, tail and lower jaw sliced off.
The sea creature's carcass was discovered last weekend in Queensland, Australia, and sparked outrage after being shared to social media on Monday.
It is thought to be a case of shark-finning, which is the act of removing a shark's fins for sale and discarding the rest of the fish's body.
The practice is banned at sea in many countries, and is illegal in Commonwealth fisheries.
Maya Sanderson and her family came across the latest gruesome find after getting dinner from a nearby fish and chips shop.
She told the Townsville Bulletin: "The fins were cut at the top and tail cut off the end.
"It looked like it had been gutted. You could see the inside of its stomach."
Another passerby also came across the creature - thought to be a lemon shark - and posted a picture to Facebook, writing: "Devastating find at Rowes Bay today.
"Shark found with fins, tail and lower jaw removed. If anyone has any information about this, please report it to the Department of environment and science."
Social media users reacted in fury, with one person wroting: "This is appalling to see. Absolutely disgusting."
Another said: "I saw a huge shark dorsal fin washed up on this beach too! Was so sad".
And a third commented: "Disgusting behaviour".
Another local said they found a dead hammerhead shark last week, writing alongside a photo: "Found some babies on the beach in Saunders last Tuesday, some mongrels are targeting them."
Dr Leonardo Guida, a shark scientist from the Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS), believed the creature found on Sunday was a lemon shark.
The species is listed as near threatened by the IUCN Red List.
He told Yahoo News Australia: "Either way it shouldn't have been treated like that — it should have been released. It's clearly a barbaric act."
Around 73 million sharks are killed a year for their fins, falling prey to the demand for shark-fin soup.
The traditional Chinese remedy is taken to protect against cancer and heart disease, though campaigners say there is no medical evidence it works.
Rebecca Regnery, of Humane Society International, previously called for more action on shark-finning.
She said: “Every year, in oceans around the world, tens of millions of sharks are hunted to meet the demand for shark-fin soup.
"It’s a barbarically cruel and wasteful business, as these sharks have their fins cut off their bodies while fully conscious, and are simply thrown back into the water to die slowly and painfully.”
"The shark fin trade directly endangers their survival, and that of the species that rely on them
"Raising awareness is key as many consumers say they never realized what a dreadful impact their consumption had."
