This article is from the source 'independent' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/australasia/dead-shark-picture-questions-remain-over-facebook-images-of-enormous-shark-caught-off-australian-coast-10451135.html
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Dead shark picture: Questions remain over Facebook images of enormous shark caught off Australian coast | Dead shark picture: Questions remain over Facebook images of enormous shark caught off Australian coast |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Photographs of an enormous Tiger shark fished off the western Australian coast have emerged on social media. | Photographs of an enormous Tiger shark fished off the western Australian coast have emerged on social media. |
| There are few details about the shark, reportedly caught three weeks ago off the New South Wales coastline, but photographs depicting the mammoth beast have been widely shared online. | |
| NSW newspaper The Northern Star claims the four metre catch was made by a local fisherman known only as “Matthew”. | NSW newspaper The Northern Star claims the four metre catch was made by a local fisherman known only as “Matthew”. |
| "I was the one that took that photo and I was the one that caught that fish," he claimed. | "I was the one that took that photo and I was the one that caught that fish," he claimed. |
| Matthew added that he caught the creature around 14 miles off Tweed Heads, NSW, and that he was initially unsure of the species. | Matthew added that he caught the creature around 14 miles off Tweed Heads, NSW, and that he was initially unsure of the species. |
| "I just had to confirm with a bloke that it was a Tiger and not a Great White and I used those photos to show him," he told the newspaper. | "I just had to confirm with a bloke that it was a Tiger and not a Great White and I used those photos to show him," he told the newspaper. |
| The images first emerged after Byron Bay resident Geoff Brooks posted them to his Facebook timeline. | The images first emerged after Byron Bay resident Geoff Brooks posted them to his Facebook timeline. |
| However, Mr Brooks has subsequently admitted he did not take the images – but continued to claim that the photographs are “real”. Social media users have criticised the images, with some claiming they are fake. | |
| The picture of that massive shark looks soooooo fake!! | |
| Yea dude totally but the shark still looks fake | |
| Tiger sharks, which commonly grow up to around five metres long, can be legally commercially fished in large part of the seas off the NSW coast. | Tiger sharks, which commonly grow up to around five metres long, can be legally commercially fished in large part of the seas off the NSW coast. |
| A spokesperson for the Department of Primary Industries told the Brisbane Times that the department was not investigating the incident. "This size is not unusual for a tiger shark," he added. | A spokesperson for the Department of Primary Industries told the Brisbane Times that the department was not investigating the incident. "This size is not unusual for a tiger shark," he added. |