Shark Predation and Sportfishing: Are Shark Populations on the Rise?

The Rising Concern of Shark Predation

The subject of shark predation comes up frequently in conversation these days. Many people believe that because of increased conservation measures like bans on finning, shark populations have grown beyond where they should be. Others believe shark diving operations, which often attract the sharks by feeding them, have taught the fish to be more aggressive and aggregated the population closer to where we tend to fish.

Suggested remedies have run the gamut from no action, to ending shark dives, and the radical proposal of reopening the South Atlantic bight to shark longlining has even been proposed. The prevalent theories suggest there are just too many sharks out there and something must be done about it.  

The Impact on Competitive Sportfishing

That ideology gained more traction when a winning blue marlin caught on the boat Sensation, got disqualified recently in North Carolina’s Big Rock tournament due to mutilation of the fish by a shark. Tournament participants must abide by the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) rules. Here’s the IGFA rule that covers what disqualifies a catch: “Mutilation to the fish, prior to landing or boating the catch, caused by sharks, other fish, mammals, or propellers that remove or penetrate the flesh. Injuries caused by leader or line, scratches, old, healed scars or regeneration deformities are not considered to be disqualifying injuries. Any mutilation on the fish must be shown in a photograph and fully explained in a report accompanying the record application.” 

The decision by the tournament committee to disqualify the 619.4-pound marlin ignited a huge storm of controversy, and potentially cost the Sensation crew $3.5 million in winnings. The situation is headed to litigation now, and the shark debate rages stronger than ever. But in the midst of all the rhetoric, several groups have taken a step to begin trying to forge a better understanding of what’s really happening.

Legislative Efforts to Address Shark Predation

The American Sportfishing Association, a fishing industry trade group made up of many different companies, worked with Representatives Rob Wittman (R-Va.), Darren Soto (D-Fla.), Garret Graves (R-La.) and Marc Veasey (D-Tex.), to introduce the Supporting the Health of Aquatic systems through Research, Knowledge and Enhanced Dialogue (SHARKED) Act (H.R. 4051) in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Shark Predation and Sportfishing

This important bill addresses shark predation by establishing a task force comprised of fisheries managers and shark experts responsible for improving coordination and communication across the fisheries management community. The task force will identify research priorities and funding opportunities, and the bill represents the first step towards mitigating shark predation nationally. It will build foundational knowledge that can be used to improve future management, education, and research actions.

Hopefully, this will lead to better knowledge, which will enable managers to make good decisions about future shark management.

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