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Environment

Rosie O’Donnell Is Feeling Environmentalists’ Bite Over Photo With Dead Shark

Jan. 12, 2012 2:50pm Liz Klimas

Rosie O’Donnell, the controversial, 49-year-old talk show host, has entered the hot water of environmentalist wrath over a photo showing her and her children with a dead hammerhead shark.

Environmentalists Wage Campaign Against Rosie ODonnell Over Hammerhead Shark Catch

Rosie O'Donnell with her children and a dead hammerhead shark. (Photo: Mark The Shark)

As of 12 days ago, the Florida Fish and Wildlife conservation board made killing three types of hammerhead sharks in Florida waters a second degree misdemeanor, although it states that catch and release is still allowed. The hammerhead shark is not listed on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s endangered species list, but one species of hammerhead was put on the World Conservation Union’s Red List as endangered in 2008. The Florida FFW cited declining levels of the shark population for enacting the ban in the state.

The current controversy began when Mark “The Shark” Quartiano, who hosts guided sport fishing tours in Miami, posted the photo of O’Donnell’s family and the shark on his website as the Celebrity Angler of the Month. O’Donnell explains on Twitter that her daughter reeled in the shark “years ago” before it became endangered or unlawful to catch, though under the FFW ban catching is allowed as long as the fish is released.

Erik Brush, a Sarasota marine conservationist, is one of the individuals leading the effort against O’Donnell. He was teasing media about the “scoop” he had over an incident involving O’Donnell in late Dec. 2011 on Twitter. The Sun-Sentinel has more from Brush:

“Right now sharks are the most endangered animals around,” said Brush. “This is basically an endorsement. It sends the message that it’s an OK activity. And this is not an activity that we want celebrities endorsing.”

Along with some aggressive comments against O’Donnell’s catch on Twitter and Facebook, the Sun Sentinel reports that marine biologists, diving organizations and members of environmental groups such as Shark Savers, Planet Ocean Alliance and the Australian Anti-Shark-Finning Alliance are coming down hard on her.

Facebook page created against O'Donnell's photo and Mark The Shark's expeditions.

But O’Donnell isn’t backing down from the catch. Here are some of her explanations on Twitter as well as other Twitter followers coming forward in her defense:

The Sun Sentinel states that Quartiano is also stepping up for O’Donnell:

Quartiano defended the trips, which took place over the past two or three years, calling O’Donnell “a great angler. She’s very conservation-minded. We’ve caught a lot of fish and released a lot of fish. We’ve also caught fish for eating and trophies.”

As for O’Donnell’s reaction to the controversy, he said “She’s amused by it. She wants me to go on her show.”

Quartiano also points out that the number of hammerheads caught in sport fishing endeavors is much lower when compared to the number trapped in commercial fishing nets.

(H/T: Xfinity)

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Comments (122)

Clever Username
Posted on January 12, 2012 at 3:27pm
LMAO!! Oh the hypocrisy of it all! :D
It’s funny how liberals can be holier than thou on issues of their choosing but have selective morals when it comes to their enjoyment and livelihood.
BLAHAHAHAHAHA!!

p.s. Rosie, nice catch! it looks delicious! ; )

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- AvengerK
  Posted on January 12, 2012 at 4:06pm
  Rosie certainly should be used to that kind of smell though.
  
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- TheObamanation
  Posted on January 12, 2012 at 4:19pm
  I don’t know who I feel more sorry for … the shark or the kids.
  
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- KickinBack
  Posted on January 12, 2012 at 4:24pm
  I saw this show on natgeo the other day about a whale that killed a shark. I didn’t know they did a follow to it.
  
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- proantisocialist
  Posted on January 12, 2012 at 4:58pm
  Yeah Rosie, my family hunts with our guns and bibles….
  
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- ChiefGeorge
  Posted on January 12, 2012 at 5:21pm
  Now she knows how it feels from her own. These people who break down our beloved social norms will too find themselves in the crosshairs of the next generation of zealots being groomed right now.
  
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- drattastic
  Posted on January 12, 2012 at 5:38pm
  Remember the liberal golden rule you drones”don’t do what your liberal elite betters do, do whats your betters say”. You peon liberals don’t question what your”leaders”do, they’ll do as they please (btw nice boat, now is that “fair”) you just do what your told & watch your carbon footprint fools…uh I mean folks.
  
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- Ruler4You
  Posted on January 12, 2012 at 6:07pm
  It’s almost as big as she is.
  
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- Secret Squirrel
  Posted on January 12, 2012 at 8:10pm
  .
  You can’t fish, but she can.
  You can’t bear arms, but she can.
  You can’t eat meat, but she can.
  
  Typical limousine liberal.
  
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- SERUM
  Posted on January 12, 2012 at 8:48pm
  Nice catch! Shark fishing is a great sport or was… Sorry to the numbers deminish, it is a tasty fish. As for her statement for not t knowing what they’ll catch is false. You bait for what want, and she got what she wanted.
  With a fishing guide and certain bait in a certain area, you’ll get a certain fish…simple as that. You think she was paying big money to catch some reds?!! Hahaha…think again.
  
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- banjarmon
  Posted on January 13, 2012 at 1:41am
  Should have used rosie as bait….oops….that would make the shark sick…!!!
  
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- hypnos
  Posted on January 13, 2012 at 8:15am
  If it is catch and release why is Rosie still on the boat.
  
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felix
Posted on January 12, 2012 at 3:26pm
that shark is better than her/its kids !

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MrSunshine
Posted on January 12, 2012 at 3:25pm
Wow! That’s one UGLY BEAST! And look at that shark too.

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- justangry
  Posted on January 12, 2012 at 4:25pm
  Ok the obvious setup hasn’t gotten the right response, and I can no longer resist… She’s hungry and likes the taste of fish. There I said it.
  
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ModerationIsBest
Posted on January 12, 2012 at 3:24pm
We’re going to need a bigger boat……for Rosie.

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felix
Posted on January 12, 2012 at 3:22pm
that shark is better off than her/its kids !

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Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on January 12, 2012 at 3:18pm
CHILL! Yeah, Rosie, you’d chill if a conservative did that, wouldn’t you?

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MsMonsoon
Posted on January 12, 2012 at 3:15pm
How fun is that to see Rosie, The Big Mouth Bully on the receiving end for a change.

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searching for the Truth
Posted on January 12, 2012 at 3:13pm
That was funny – who’s the guy with the hat – I needed that !

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- NOBAMA201258
  Posted on January 12, 2012 at 6:35pm
  Boy, I tell ya, the last time I saw a mouth like that it had a hook in it! This it what hypocrisy looks like
  
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OklahomaBound
Posted on January 12, 2012 at 3:13pm
“Right now sharks are the most endangered animals around,” said Brush. “This is basically an endorsement. It sends the message that it’s an OK activity. And this is not an activity that we want celebrities endorsing.”

First off in Rosie’s defense (I can’t beleive I said that), she’s not a celebrity. You’re welcome Rosie.

Does the catch and release rule specify that the fish has to be released alive? If not it seems like a good opportunity to get that nice photo taken, like the one shown above, and then release the carca ss back into the water as fish food.

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TEMPEST86
Posted on January 12, 2012 at 3:12pm
Rosie – lay off me i’m starvin!!!

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commonsenseguy
Posted on January 12, 2012 at 3:09pm
a pile of dead fish smell can attract fly’s and buzzards, rosie can not even do that she stinks so bad.

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JAMACAMECRAZYMAN
Posted on January 12, 2012 at 3:08pm
If I were to pull in Rosie on my hook I would not release – I would beat the hell out of it just like a shark. At least you can eat shark……….

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Outlaw_Josey_Wales
Posted on January 12, 2012 at 3:07pm
Watch out rosie, sharks like whale meat!!!!

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- MsMonsoon
  Posted on January 12, 2012 at 3:21pm
  What a shame… whaling been outlawed.
  
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I.Gaspar
Posted on January 12, 2012 at 3:07pm
I think she was swimming, bumped into the shark…and scared it to death.

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- commonsenseguy
  Posted on January 12, 2012 at 3:13pm
  now that is damn funny.
  
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- countryfirst
  Posted on January 12, 2012 at 4:18pm
  If Rose ever jumped in and went swimming we would have heard about the tsunami.
  
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- patriotteapress
  Posted on January 12, 2012 at 4:29pm
  If Rosie had gone swimming, all that hot air would have caused a larger fish kill!
  
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SoupSandwich
Posted on January 12, 2012 at 3:05pm
Get Rosie off that hook! That ain’t humane, drop her onto the boat at the very least.

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SREGN
Posted on January 12, 2012 at 3:03pm
Both have big nasty mouths.

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- commonsenseguy
  Posted on January 12, 2012 at 3:12pm
  at least one smells fishy, an the other smell worse than a hog pen in late july.
  
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EqualJustice
Posted on January 12, 2012 at 3:02pm
so ROSIE.. “HOW DOES IT FEEL?? To be on your own… like a rolling stone?” hahahahaha This is so classic. “CHILL PEOPLE”.. coming from Rosie? hahahahahaha

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Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on January 12, 2012 at 3:02pm
One more example of hypocrisy in action. No suprise from the left.

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- pamela kay
  Posted on January 13, 2012 at 1:28am
  SNOWLEOPARD< Thank you for a simple comment without name calling or insults. I find her comments rather amusing . It seems she can bend her own rules and beliefs when it is convienent. Alott like her stand against guns, yet I am sure that her body guards carry them. I don't care how she looks or what her sexual preference is.
  
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weneedrubio
Posted on January 12, 2012 at 3:02pm
catch a lib doing something wrong and “sheesh it’s no big deal” well what do you think we have been talking about. Go lick something and quit being a bitch about your pet peeves. The atheist 16 year old won her lawsuit because she’s offended by the banner well we are offended by you and her so what are we all to do? Now your offended because you got caught. Whining is highly offensive also.
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- JAMACAMECRAZYMAN
  Posted on January 12, 2012 at 3:11pm
  Perfect!
  
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democritusoilder267
Posted on January 12, 2012 at 3:02pm
I’m surprised Rosie and her family fish for anything really.

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- slindsley
  Posted on January 12, 2012 at 11:09pm
  Did You know, she’s extremely anti-gun and absolutely believes with every fiber of her being that no one should be able to posses a handgun? …..except for the people protecting her and her children….. Just another glimpse into her hypocrisy.
  
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RightUnite
Posted on January 12, 2012 at 3:00pm
Good! I love seeing the left eat their own.

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- smokie
  Posted on January 12, 2012 at 4:25pm
  Exactly.
  Growing up with leftists taught me one thing, the rope of intolerance always circles tighter and tighter until everyone’s neck is in the noose.
  
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scuba13
Posted on January 12, 2012 at 2:59pm
“It wasn’t endangered until 11 days ago, so chill out”? Rosie you dope, it was endangered long before it was out on the list because of idiots like you.

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SpankDaMonkey
Posted on January 12, 2012 at 2:57pm
.
Keep fishing Rosie……..

We might get lucky, and she’ll fall overboard……………….

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- commonsenseguy
  Posted on January 12, 2012 at 3:05pm
  naw,they would just spit her out,even fish have enough since not to eat anything that is gross and stinking,and besides she would just give them diarrhea.
  
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smithclar3nc3
Posted on January 12, 2012 at 2:56pm
I wouldn’t go fishing with her she wears underwear with d**k holes in them.

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Tal-El
Posted on January 12, 2012 at 2:56pm
Would be much more fun if the shark had caught her…

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- RightUnite
  Posted on January 12, 2012 at 3:00pm
  Amen!
  
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