Daily Talker: Miss Maine Contestant Controversy

A Maine beauty pageant contestant who catches and tags sharks and then poses with them for photos is facing a lot of criticism today.

21 year old Marisa Butler says she has tagged at least 30 sharks as a volunteer for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.  Butler does most of her fishing on Nantucket and in Florida.

But her method of tagging the sharks, and questions about her true motivation, have come under fire.

Butler hooks the creatures and then drags them onshore in order to affix the tags, a method that at least one expert said could be harmful to the sharks.

Shark expert Drew Scerbo recently wrote, "This isn't about conservation at all - tagging is an excuse/justification for pleasure fishing."

Others have also criticized Butler for her bikini shot pictures with the sharks that they say are more for publicity than conservation.

Butler defender herself on Facebook, saying "I am working towards spreading awareness and changing public opinion about sharks."

What do you think of the controversy surrounding a Miss Maine USA contestant for her work in tagging sharks? Should she be criticized?

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