Cafe owner says shark doing well until viral attention, flash photography caused it stress
A great white shark kept in an aquarium at a franchised cafe in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, was released back into the ocean early after visitors’ attention began to disturb it, the cafe owner has said.
The cafe owner said he had rescued the 1.5-meter shark from a fish market in nearby Gampo on May 30.
He said he had planned to care for the animal for a few days before releasing it, noting that keeping it long-term was not an option because great white sharks can grow up to 6 meters.
“The shark was fine during care. No accidents happened,” the cafe owner told The Korea Herald.
“However, with more visitors coming in and taking photos with the flash on, the shark seemed to be under stress.”
The shark was released on June 2, earlier than planned, after the photos went viral and people began reporting the case to authorities.
It is impossible to keep great white sharks in captivity for long because of their breathing habits, which require them to swim continuously, as well as their massive appetite. No other aquarium is believed to have a great white shark on exhibit.
Green Korea United, an environmental group, released a statement saying the case reflects administrative negligence in protecting the marine ecosystem.
“Blind spots in domestic law allow individuals to accidentally catch fish that should be protected. Instead, fish are sold in markets and auctions, and end up on a dish or in an exhibition,” Green Korea United said.
The great white shark is listed as a grade 2 endangered species under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. However, South Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries excludes the animal from its list of marine organisms under protection.
Great white sharks are known to inhabit waters around the Korean Peninsula and are often spotted near surf zones.
mjcha@heraldcorp.com
