Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Trophy fishing for Sharks?

Dumpster full of Blue Sharks after fishing tournament - Long Island, NY

Hmmm...
...these derbies provide significant socio-economic and educational value for the rural coastal communities? What possible educational value could come from killing and stringing up trophy Sharks?
Anyway, it'll be interesting to watch the finished product!

Here's the trailer.



I say, trophy tournaments are an abomination.
And I'm not only talking about Sharks! Targeting the biggest and oldest Fish that happen to also be the most prolific breeders, and this only in order to get immortalized, or whatever, in some record book is not only ethically reprehensible, it deprives the Fish stocks of their most valuable individuals.

The real culprits?
The IGFA and their record keeping which ultimately incites anglers to continue to target and kill mature pregnant females - and yes I'm very much repeating myself! Thankfully, some forward thinking anglers are starting to question that practice and more and more kill tournaments are being reformed - and there's even eco-shark- fishing businesses like this one!.



But in the end, it all depends on the IGFA.
If they want to remain current and relevant, they must finally do away with their weight records in favor of other non-lethal measurements - especially in the all-tackle category!
Guy?

H/T: Shark Year Magazine.

4 comments:

jsd said...

Some years ago I was having dinner with Gary and Brenda Adkison in the restaurant of Walker's Cay. We were joined by one of the charter boat captains who 'entertained us' with stories of catching/killing 'game' fish. Then he went on to tell us about his hunting wild pigs somewhere with a bow and arrow and the thrill he got seeing his arrows piercing a squealing pig.

I agree with your sentiments. Alas, the people doing such things have all the same material before them as we do when they kill-for-fun.

DaShark said...

Must have been Billy Black, right?

jsd said...

I think that might have been his name. Have you been to Walker's Cay?

There was a room for cleaning fish for the fishermen and the divers used to help themselves to the discarded parts to feed the sharks and dive/snorkel with them. Once, I went in there and there was a US spearfisherman who had come over to the Bahamas in his boat to spear fish. He had filled crates with the reef fish he had speared. He asked me what I wanted the fish scraps for and I told him to bring in the bull sharks.
'Isn't that kinda boring?' was his reply.

DaShark said...

Yes I've been there - post you but pre Ritter accident, in February of 2001.

The rodeo was great - but wading into that beach whilst they were throwing fish around me was utter unadulterated lunacy & I refused to continue acting as bait after less than a minute of it.

And then came the inevitable consequences...