A Washington state fisherman now faces ten counts after officials say he illegally caught protected sharks and posted videos of himself wrestling them for social media.
Quick Take
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife says investigators spent months building the case.
- Officials say Connor Seifert targeted protected sixgill and sevengill sharks in South Puget Sound.
- Authorities say officers later watched a live shark catch at a South Sound pier.
- The case includes claims that Seifert posted videos of the encounters online.
Months-Long Probe Led to Charges
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife officers say the case began after a wave of complaints and online posts showing the same man with protected sharks. Investigators identified Connor Seifert as the person in the videos and say they spent months tracking his activity before filing charges. The agency says the videos showed the sharks being caught, dragged, handled, and wrestled in South Puget Sound.
Officials say the evidence was not limited to internet clips. A WDFW officer later returned to a South Puget Sound pier and watched Seifert and others catch a sixgill shark, pull it from the water, wrestle with it, and pose for a picture. That account matters because it gives the state more than just social media posts. It also gives prosecutors a reported in-person observation tied to the same pattern.
Protected Sharks at the Center of the Case
The sharks in question are sixgill and sevengill sharks, which WDFW describes as protected in the area. KIRO 7 reported that officers said the sixgill sharks come to South Puget Sound to give birth, and that the trauma from these encounters may have caused pregnancies to be lost. That detail raises the stakes beyond a simple fishing dispute. It turns the case into a possible example of needless harm to a sensitive species.
Washington officials also say the fish were not supposed to be removed from the water in the first place. Northwest Sportsman reported that WDFW police sent Pierce County prosecutors nine misdemeanor unlawful recreational fishing counts and one gross misdemeanor false-statement count after observing the suspect and his friends pull a sixgill shark out for trophy photos. The report also says officers set up surveillance after growing online attention to the videos.
What the Charges Mean
According to the reporting, Seifert faces nine counts of second-degree unlawful recreational fishing and one count of false statement to a public servant. The Independent said the arrest followed a months-long investigation, while the New York Post reported that he has pleaded not guilty. Those charges show how fast a social media stunt can turn into a serious legal problem when wildlife officers believe protected species were targeted on purpose.
The case also fits a larger pattern conservatives know well: people break the rules, post the proof online, and then act surprised when the government responds. Here, the alleged conduct involves a protected animal, repeated handling, and a public record that already includes videos, complaints, and direct officer observation. The legal system will still decide guilt, but the facts so far are enough to explain why the state moved hard and fast.
Sources:
nypost.com, youtube.com, independent.co.uk
