Rosie O'Donnell Splashes Back at Fishing Critics

Wonderwall, Thursday, January 12, 2012, 4:00pm (PST)

By Chris Gardner

• Rosie O'Donnell may have found herself swimming in controversy this week over her extracurricular fishing activities, but the outspoken talk show host isn't going down without tossing a big splash back at her critics.

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  The controversy started when self-described "shark hunter" Mark Quartiano posted a picture of O'Donnell and her family standing next to a hammerhead shark they caught while on his boat, dubbing her the "celebrity angler" of the month. At issue? Hammerhead sharks are a fresh addition to the endangered species list as of 2012.

  In an effort to clear up the murky mess, O'Donnell took to Twitter on Thursday, claiming it's an old photo. "Here r some facts - I have 4 dogs - I love animals - my kid caught a shark 4 years ago - there it is," O'Donnell wrote on the micro-blogging site. "We were not going after any species in particular - u catch what u catch - and it wasnt endangered til 11 days ago."

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  The posts were a direct response to animal activists and environmentalists who didn't waste any time in slamming O'Donnell -- both online and in print -- once news of the photo had surfaced. The Miami Herald quoted a marine conservationist who criticized the pic as an endorsement of a now-illegal activity, while one Twitter user encouraged O'Donnell to be more "selective" when she fishes.

  O'Donnell countered that claim, writing, "Y don't u worry about commercial fishing where they slaughter by thousands."

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