Sarah Palin clubs to death a fish on reality show labelled 'a snuff video' by animal rights group



Sarah Palin is under fire for clubbing a fish to death on her new reality TV show.



The Tea Party darling and her daughter Bristol, 20, were shown on a halibut fishing trip filmed for her new programme, Sarah Palin's Alaska.

After catching a fish, Sarah is seen beating it with a club and Bristol later holds its still-beating heart in her hand, a sight Sarah called 'weird'.

Armed and dangerous: Sarah Palin took hold of a club during a fishing trip with her husband which was filmed for her new reality TV series

A spokesperson for animal rights group In Defense Of Animals told TMZ: 'Sarah Palin’s complete lack of compassion as demonstrated in this snuff video is disgusting.'

The group adds: 'Most disturbing is the way she seems to enjoy causing suffering to other beings. When they laugh about the beating heart that Bristol holds in her hand, their complete insensitivity to the animal kingdom becomes clear.'

Going in for the kill: Sarah swings into action

A spokesperson for the Alaska Charter Association told the U.S. website that the clubbing technique is humane because it supposedly minimises suffering.

Halibut clubbing is actually a standard practice among fishermen.

During the episode, Sarah explains why clubbing halibut to death is necessary saying: 'stunning the halibut may seem a bit harsh to some but it's the safest and most humane way to harvest these massive fish.'

Sarah Palin's Alaska, which airs on US cable network TLC, started out with a huge viewership, but ratings have dwindled drastically.

On deck: Sarah Palin, left, and Bristol brave the cold on the fishing boat



Falling by 40 per cent to three million viewers, according to The Hollywood Reporter, the average age of Palin's audience is 57, 15 years older than the average viewer for the TLC network.

Bristol took part in the finale of Dancing With The Stars tonight, ceding the crown to Dirty Dancing's Jennifer Grey.

She is expected to return to her job in a dermatologist's office and live alongside her mother in Alaska full-time.

On dry land: Bristol Palin put in a host of impressive performacnes with pro partner Mark Ballas in Dancing With The Stars



