A 27-year-old Oregon man now faces criminal charges after Washington wildlife officers accused him of repeatedly targeting protected sharks in Puget Sound, hauling them ashore, and filming himself wrestling the animals before posting the videos online. According to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), Connor Seifert allegedly targeted bluntnose sixgill sharks and broadnose sevengill sharks, two species that anglers cannot legally fish for in Washington’s marine waters. WDFW announced the case after a months-long investigation that officers said began when they received at least 14 complaints about Seifert’s activities.
After receiving the complaints, investigators said they monitored Seifert’s fishing trips, reviewed videos from his social media accounts, and eventually contacted him after observing his conduct firsthand near the Fox Island fishing pier in Pierce County. Prosecutors allege he repeatedly removed protected sharks from the water, dragged them by their tails, and wrestled with them after landing them.
