A Long Island man was arraigned Wednesday on multiple charges related to the illegal capture of a great white shark off Cape Cod last October. Christopher Stefanou, 30, appeared in Barnstable Superior Court, where he was held on $10,000 bail, according to the Cape and Islands district attorney’s office.
Prosecutors allege Stefanou and his crew spent several days along the eastern shore of Cape Cod with a “European client,” whose identity has not been disclosed, with the objective of capturing a great white shark. The shark, known as “Aaron the Shark,” had been tagged and monitored by the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries in partnership with the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy.
The alleged illegal catch came to light after Stefanou posted videos on social media showing the group using prohibited equipment, including a drone, to lure and capture the shark. The footage also showed the men dragging the shark onto a beach to take photographs before releasing it back into the water.
Stefanou was indicted by a Barnstable County grand jury on charges including animal cruelty, illegal shore-based shark fishing, unauthorized possession of a prohibited species, illegal attracting and capturing of a white shark, and illegal mechanized deployment of bait. State law forbids shore-based fishing using equipment designed to attract or catch large fish such as great white sharks in most Cape Cod waters. These regulations aim in part to protect public safety by preventing fishing methods that deliberately draw sharks closer to the shore.
Stefanou’s attorney, Jon A. Ciraulo, described his client as an experienced angler who respects conservation measures and actively supports marine research and education. Ciraulo emphasized that the charges are allegations and that Stefanou intends to contest them vigorously.
District Attorney spokesperson Danielle Whitney noted that this case is believed to be the first prosecution in Massachusetts involving the use of a drone in shore-based great white shark fishing.
As conditions of his release, Stefanou was ordered to surrender his fishing license, refrain from fishing, boating, or operating drones in Massachusetts waters, and stay out of the state except for legal proceedings. He must also remove all related videos from social media. He is scheduled to return to court on December 11.
The investigation was led by the Massachusetts Environmental Police with support from State Police, Wellfleet police, and shark expert Greg Skomal of the Division of Marine Fisheries.
Stefanou has previously spoken publicly about his concern for shark conservation, including in a 2020 interview in which he expressed efforts to handle sharks safely. Great white shark populations in the region have rebounded in recent decades following declines from accidental and recreational fishing, aided by shark management plans and the protection of grey seals—key prey species—under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972.