The incident outraged anglers after photos appeared on Facebook.

The charge, of illegally tagging a saltwater fish, is a misdemeanor in the US state of South Carolina, The Post and Courier reports.

In a statement, the Department of Natural Resources said: “The incident first came to DNR’s attention when concerned anglers contacted the agency’s Marine Division after they began catching sharks that appeared to have been marked with a symbol of some kind in the vicinity of Dewees Island and Isle of Palms and photographed them.”

The brand appears to have been made with a propane torch or “freeze branded” with dry ice, horrified anglers said in response to the post.

Logo-branding is a practice that dates back centuries, with its use on cattle being the most widely recognised form.