An Oregon man, Connor Seifert, 27, is facing charges for allegedly illegally catching and "wrestling" protected bluntnose sixgill and broadnose sevengill sharks in Puget Sound, Washington. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) released body camera footage showing an officer confronting Seifert in June in Pierce County, Washington. In the video, the officer tells Seifert, "You know your shark rules."

The department stated that fishing for sixgill and sevengill sharks is unlawful and noted an increase in online posts showing these sharks being targeted and unlawfully removed from or partially removed from the water. WDFW has received 14 complaints about Seifert, mainly related to his alleged targeting of these sharks.

Puget Sound serves as a nursery for sixgill and sevengill sharks before they migrate to the ocean. The department emphasized the importance of protecting these sharks during this vulnerable stage, explaining that exhausting the sharks by fighting them to shore leads to the death of their offspring. "Once they exhaust themselves being fought to shore, then all of their babies die. And then, sooner than you know it, you’re not going to have sixgill and sevengill returning to Puget Sound anymore," the department said.

A still image shared by WDFW shows a video allegedly posted by Seifert, depicting a shark being held by its tail. The department's investigation follows months of surveillance over alleged illegal shark catches in the area.

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