I consider myself an avid shark fisherman. I also consider myself a conservationist. These things are not mutually exclusive. I practice catch-and-release with most of the sharks I catch being released with tags.
Being a citizen scientist is part of the appeal –along with the adrenaline of course — for catching really big sharks. Unfortunately, not everyone who targets sharks for sport shares my reverence for the apex predators.
Last week, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Committee approved new rules regarding shore-based shark fishing intended to increase survival of released sharks, improve information gathering for the fishery and address some of the public safety concerns related to the practice.
Among these new rules, anglers targeting sharks of any kind would need a special permit, sharks would need to remain in the water at all times and protected species would need to be released immediately. The new rules also ban chumming along beaches where swimmers and other recreational activities may take place. Except for a few voices of dissent, these new rules are viewed by many within the shark fishing community as a positive development. These regulations, designed to protect the animals themselves and the fishery as a whole, are both needed and welcome.
Because, let’s face it, there were more than a few “shark fishermen” that gave the rest of us a bad name. I’ve seen it myself for years along Florida’s shores. There were always a few who failed to treat the ocean and its inhabitants with the respect it deserves. Most of whom had little to no training on how to properly handle a shark. They used improper gear and would do things to put the shark under undue stress like dragging it completely out of the water for prolonged periods. They also didn’t endear themselves to others by leaving traces of their activities on the beach after they were gone.
For many of them, the sharks they were catching weren’t creatures that need to be respected, they were subjects for their Instagrams feeds or YouTube channels.
“These young kids just want to catch a big shark,” said Richard Huggins of Xtreme Fishing, a land-based fishing club. “They manhandle the sharks and then half of them die. That makes people like us look bad.”
Huggins, who said he prefers shore fishing because ‘he’s not a boat guy,’ is among the majority of big-game anglers who are conservation-minded with their activities.
“I respect them,” he said. “I don’t kill them because I know we need them in the food chain.”
Having been an outdoors reporter for Florida newspapers for over a decade, I’ve worked with the FWC quite extensively. When it comes to putting regulations into place, as an organization, their approach was always to avoid telling anglers how they could use the natural resources. In this case, I agree that some restrictions were needed.
While most sharks are incredibly hardy animals, some, like hammerheads, are extremely vulnerable to post-catch mortality. If they aren’t handled properly, there is a good chance that shark will not survive. Unfortunately, more than a few shore-based anglers lacked the proper knowledge on how to handle the sharks they catch. Even worse, some just didn’t care about its fate after they were done taking their pictures.
Besides, it isn’t like these new rules banned shark fishing outright. Most of us, especially those involved in the NOAA Apex Predator or other data collection programs, already practiced the responsible methods the new rules require.
Hopefully, it just weeds out some of the bad apples who were spoiling things for the rest of us.
Interested in learning more about safe and responsible shore-based shark fishing? Check out the Sharkophile’s guide to land-based fishing.
https://www.sharkophile.com/2019/02/26/what-gear-do-you-need-for-shore-based-shark-fishing/