The Great White Shark is listed as a Vulnerable Species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature
Beijing:
A Chinese influencer is under police investigation after a clip of him frying and eating a large white shark went viral.
Footage of the vlogger, known by his online pseudonym Tizzy, showed him feasting on the predatory fish, which was confirmed by police in the central city of Nanchong as a great white on Sunday.
In a video posted in mid-July, Tizzy tearing apart large chunks of the animal’s barbecued meat, “it may sound vicious, but its meat is actually very tender.”
In the video, after being removed, she is seen laying open next to the two-metre-long fish to make it appear that it is taller than her.
The shark is then cut in half, marinated and barbecued, while the head is cooked in a spicy broth.
The Great White Shark is listed as a Vulnerable Species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature – just one step before being classified as Endangered.
Shark populations – some of the ocean’s most important apex predators – have been battered over the past few decades, with the main culprits being finning and industrial long-line fishing.
In China, they are listed as protected. Illegal possession can lead to five to 10 years in prison.
“It’s amazing that an internet celebrity can eat a protected animal in broad daylight in front of millions of people!” A commenter wrote in response to the story.
“These uncultured attention-getters will stoop too low to attract eyeballs!” Said another.
It is unclear whether Tizzy, who has nearly eight million followers, will be punished.
She told local media that she acquired the shark through “legal channels,” but the local agriculture bureau said Monday that her claim was “inconsistent with the facts” and that police were investigating.
Dried baby shark meat is used as cat food in China and can be purchased in many online stores.
Chinese state media has long waged a war on the viral binge-eating video, known as Korean slang “mukbang”, while livestreaming platforms have for years posted accounts promoting excess eating and food waste. promised to close.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)