YouTuber Christopher Stefanou has been barred from Massachusetts after allegedly capturing a protected great white shark and dragging it onto a beach for photographs. The 30-year-old content creator runs the LISHARKMAN channel, which has more than two million subscribers.
Great white sharks are protected in Massachusetts, where regulations prohibit anglers from deliberately attracting or catching them. The rules are especially significant around Cape Cod, an area where large numbers of sharks gather because of its abundant seal population.
According to prosecutors, Stefanou and his crew spent several days fishing with a European client in October 2025, allegedly with the intention of catching a great white shark. Cape & Islands District Attorney Robert J. Galibois said the group used prohibited equipment, including a drone, to catch a 9.5-foot shark known as Aaron the Shark. The animal had previously been tagged and monitored by marine researchers.
Authorities allege that the shark was pulled onto shore, where members of the group celebrated and took photographs before returning it to the water.
Stefanou appeared before Barnstable Superior Court on October 21, 2026, to face charges including animal cruelty to a shark, fishing for shark, mechanical deployment of bait, attempted capture of a shark and possession of a protected shark species.
He was released on $10,000 bail and must surrender his fishing licence and delete footage connected to the alleged incident. He is also prohibited from fishing, using boats or flying drones in Massachusetts waters, and cannot return to the state unless he is attending court.
Stefanou’s lawyer has disputed the allegations, saying the YouTuber is committed to protecting marine wildlife and promoting ethical fishing. Stefanou has not been convicted of the alleged offences.
Sources: Dexerto.