Are you a type of fishermen chasing social media clout by touchdown an ideal white shark?
Nicely, Bay State marine officers are sending a message: They’ve added “teeth” to laws to limit such a shore-based shark fishing forward of the upcoming white shark season alongside Cape Cod.
Massachusetts guidelines already ban fishermen from attracting and capturing white sharks, however enforcement has been difficult for the Massachusetts Environmental Police. That’s as a result of laws have required police to show the angler’s intent to focus on white sharks — and fishermen will usually declare they’re lawfully concentrating on different shark species.
However now, after the Massachusetts Marine Fisheries Advisory Fee voted to approve Division of Marine Fisheries regulatory suggestions, the extra simple guidelines ought to higher limit shore-based shark fishing and assist with enforcement.
“The new regulations are designed to limit shore-based fishing for white sharks on Cape Cod, where they are most abundant and most often targeted,” mentioned Division of Marine Fisheries Director Daniel McKiernan.
“Shore-based fishing for white sharks poses a serious public safety risk because it increases the chances of people coming into contact with white sharks and interferes with other beach activities,” the director added. “Based on input from the public, we believe the new regulations balance public safety while still allowing shore-based recreational fishing opportunities for other species.”
Shore-based shark fishing has been rising in reputation, notably by means of social media, with extra anglers all in favour of concentrating on nice white sharks.
Massachusetts, notably Cape Cod, is a burgeoning hotspot given the seasonal abundance of white sharks near shore and the state’s relative lack of restrictions.
“There is a large contingent of anglers on social media that are looking for that viral video of them shark fishing, particularly for white sharks,” mentioned Jared Silva, a fishery coverage analyst with the Division of Marine Fisheries.
Fishing and chumming exercise brings white sharks nearer to shore, growing the probability of interactions between individuals and white sharks.
Additionally, using drones to launch baits out previous the surf can appeal to white sharks — and spark conflicts with different seashore customers.
Silva famous the massive crowds of vacationers that descend upon the Cape in the course of the summer time, as fishermen attempt to lure white sharks.
“They can’t co-exist,” Silva mentioned. “It’s a huge public safety issue.”
The brand new guidelines that the Marine Fisheries Advisory Fee authorised embody banning shore-based shark fishing in particular areas the place white sharks are widespread.
“The coastline beginning at the northernmost point of Plymouth Beach then south to the Cape Cod Canal in Sandwich, then eastward along the southern shore of Cape Cod Bay to Rock Harbor in Orleans, then northward along the eastern shore of Cape Cod Bay to Race Point in Provincetown, then south along the eastern Atlantic facing shore of Cape Cod, inclusive of all of Monomoy Island and Chatham Harbor,” the foundations learn.
The waters alongside the South Cape and Islands, the place leisure shark fishing for non-white shark species has traditionally occurred, should not included within the laws.
The laws ban chumming when shore-based shark fishing from dawn to sundown in Massachusetts, and the foundations prohibit using mechanized or remote-controlled units to deploy baits when fishing from shore with rod and reel gear.
The one member of Marine Fisheries Advisory Fee who opposed the foundations was Tim Brady, who mentioned he was involved about this limiting entry to fishing for different shark species.
“I understand the potential user group conflict, but are we also preventing somebody who’s targeting a different shark species, which they can target?” Brady requested in the course of the fee assembly.
He additionally questioned the possibilities of attracting a white shark.
However shark scientist Greg Skomal in response mentioned it’s “quite easy” to focus on a white shark, notably alongside the eastward going through seashores of the Cape.
“The abundance that we see out there is mind blowing,” Skomal mentioned. “They are quite close to shore.”
The brand new guidelines give the environmental police the “teeth they need to be able to enforce this activity,” he added.
Skomal mentioned the opposite shark species are discovered alongside the southern facet of the Cape and Islands, and never within the banned space, so there will likely be “little impact on those existing fisheries.”
Topic to the ultimate regulatory assessment course of, the adjustments authorised by the fee are anticipated to enter impact for the upcoming season.
Initially Printed:
