Oregon Man Accused of Harassing Sharks in Puget Sound

An individual from Oregon has been charged with wrestling and disturbing the protected blunt-nosed sixgill and broadnosed sevengill sharks in Washington’s Puget Sound, a nursery for pregnant sharks and their pups.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) indicated that Connor Seifert, 27, was arrested following a lengthy investigation. A Facebook post from July 23 highlighted his online activity, where he shared videos of handling these sharks.

Investigators set up surveillance at a pier in Puget Sound. During this, they observed Seifert fishing with friends, pulling a sixgill shark from the water for a photo before releasing it back.

WDFW stressed that both shark species give birth in Puget Sound, making any removal illegal and harmful to their young.

In a video from WDFW, an officer informs Seifert: “You know the shark rules. Sixgill cannot be completely or partially removed from the water.” The officer elaborated that wrestling a sixgill onto shore could expose its gills to air, which is detrimental, especially since Puget Sound is a breeding ground for these sharks. If they struggle too much, the health of both the mothers and their pups could be severely compromised.

However, Seifert argued that the shark was merely bycatch from recreational fishing. He was indicted on July 21 and has pleaded not guilty to nine counts, including providing false statements to a public servant and illegal fishing.

WDFW has stated that he could face penalties of up to $14,000 and more than three years in prison.

Both the sixgill and sevengill sharks are classified as “Species of Most Conservation Need” under Washington’s Wildlife Action Plan. Their precarious status is recognized internationally; the sixgill shark was labeled as a species of “special concern” in Canada since 2007, while the blunt-nosed sixgill is considered “near threatened” and the broad-nosed sevengill is classified as “critically endangered” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Washington also hosts ten other shark species that are crucial apex predators in the ecosystem, maintaining balance and preventing overconsumption of marine resources according to the Surfrider Foundation Washington.