Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller won’t face any charges for catching and posing with a bloody hammerhead shark one year ago, according to a March 2019 charging document from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. TMZ reported the news last month, but USA Today followed up today and named the boat that Miller was on: Spellbound.
The owner and operator of Spellbound were not as lucky as the NFL player. From page five of the charging document:
Owner and operator were charged under the Magnuson-Stevens Act for fishing for sharks without the proper permit and for failure to release a shark in the manner that will ensure maximum probability of survival. A $2,000 NOVA was issued.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission classifies hammerhead sharks as a Group 3 shark, which means harvesting them in state waters is punishable by second-degree misdemeanor. After posting photos with the bloody 9-foot shark, Miller defended himself and claimed the shark didn’t die. “I went fishing,” he said. “Everybody knows that I hunt and fish. It’s what I do. But I also believe in conservation. I’m not just out there going crazy. We followed the rules. I did everything I was supposed to do.”
It’s a good thing Miller didn’t pose with a bunch of illicit sablefish, which I’ve learned are tightly regulated by the NOAA. The owner of a boat named “Tribute” was fined $91,472 for “intentionally making false prior notice of landing reports and signing false landing receipts to conceal IFQ sablefish violations.” That’s some pricey cod.