TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The U.S. Coast Guard preformed a large rescue Saturday after close to 100 finned creatures were found stuck in illegally deployed fishing gear.
The Coast Guard’s Heartland District, which is headquartered in New Orleans, said a crew discovered 4,000 yards, or about 2.3 miles, of longline gear 31 miles offshore in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone.
Authorities believe the gear was illegally deployed by Mexican fishermen. The crew removed 70 sharks and 20 snappers entangled in the gear and released them back into the sea.
The Coast Guard posted photos and a video of the operation on social media. One photo shows a crew member unhooking a small shark from a line. A much larger shark can be seen swimming off in the video.
In the post, Coast Guard officials wrote that the crew’s efforts have helped in “protecting marine life and U.S. waters.”