Story By: Ernest Bio Bogore, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency:  Newsflash

A rare shark has been spotted for sale in a French hypermarket sparking outrage among conservationists.

The sale of the thresher shark in the E.Leclerc Hyper Vitry Sur Seine in the south-eastern suburbs of Paris was slammed by the NGO Sea Shepherd, which fights for the defence of marine animals.

In a Facebook post, the association said the shark was a rare species banned for sale in France.

An extract from the Facebook post reads: “Without any scruples and like other supermarkets, the E.Leclerc hypermarket in Vitry Sur Seine is currently creating a show by proudly displaying this common thresher shark on a central island.

“When a supermarket chain takes on the promotion and macabre display of an endangered species, one is entitled to ask real questions about its ethics.”

According to Sea Shepherd, the thresher shark is an endangered species whose targeted fishing is prohibited.

There are three thresher shark species and all have been listed as vulnerable to extinction by the World Conservation Union since 2007.

Sea Shepherd appealed to consumers to measure “the impact of their consumption on these species and their habitats”.

Netizen ‘Christele Present’ commented: “I have been a Leclerc customer for a very long time (not the fish shop) but if I ever see this kind of thing in the shop, I’ll leave and never set foot in it again!”

Following the controversy, the Leclerc shop acknowledged the incident and announced on Facebook on 16th September the opening of an “internal investigation”.

It added that the fish had been withdrawn from sale.

The supermarket said: “The supplier, who took the initiative to offer this sale, has been called to explain himself to the management tomorrow morning.

“As for the staff, they will be made aware once again of the need to protect endangered species. The management of the E.Leclerc centre in Vitry-sur-Seine sincerely apologises to the customers and internet users who were shocked by this regrettable affair”.

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