Graphic footage: Shocking video showing whale shark being sawed open at

A disturbing video was uploaded to the Internet via Live Leak on August 5, which shows the last moments of a whale shark’s life.

Laying prostrate on the ground two men set to work on chopping the shark up, using a giant saw to slowly slice through its tail fin. They then go on to butcher the shark, cutting away sections of its body.

Some among them appear to take delight while others gasp at the sight of the shark struggling to breathe.

Approximately 20 people, including young children, are watching the butchery – and some gasp in horror saying: ‘This is too cruel.’.

HUNTED: The whale shark, the world’s largest shark and fish species, is now a luxury meat item, according to the United National Environment Program (UNEP).

“The footage of a whale shark being butchered whilst apparently still alive has appalled Shark Trust supporters”, Ali Hood, director of conservation at The Shark Trust said of the incident.

According to Limboman, the seasonal fishing ban was recently lifted in southeast China, and the whale shark was probably caught accidentally as bycatch, since fishermen do not really catch it because of the low economic value of the fish. But the Weibo user who posted the video online told reporters from Thepaper.cn he witnessed the scene in Yangjiang in southern Guangdong province. “Although listed under Appendix II of CITES and under the Convention for Migratory Species – the enforcement of domestic regulations can often lag behind”.

As blood and water spews from the animal the shark’s mouth can be seen twitching.

Wang Dong, a scientist at the Songshuhui Association of Science Communicators, identified the animal as a whale shark.

Despite their protected status, whale hunting continues to be popular in China, where their meat is used to make shark fin soup.