This is what all beaches are up against

[BoatlessFisherman]

Sorry to say but these types of lame articles even by a scientist is what Beach shark fishing face now and this is just the start.

This article is based on no data and that is why the term "it could" is being used, also he has generalized an area of shark attacks and has not pin pointed the main area which is Volusia County which I will add has not seen fishing on there beaches in 15 or 20 years because they made a law against it, it didn't help they still have shark attacks Humm I wonder why. It is sad that he is a sell out and did not even back his original words that Research must be done before we can make any laws or claims that was said 2 months ago or so, I guess he ran out and did the research that would take over a year in two months.

Here is a read of a lot of assumptions and no real fact, outside of the original Research done in 1974 to 1977
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The first multi-annual surf zone shark survey in the United States was conducted by my first graduate student, Jon Dodrill, from 1974 to 1977. Jon produced records for 585 sharks caught within 500 meters of the beach, representing 17 shark species. Four species — tiger, bull, dusky and great hammerhead — are considered dangerous. They made up 20 percent of the total catch, 117 specimens up to 12.4 feet long.

The Florida east coast has recorded more shark attacks than all other regions of the world. Most are minor, often mistaken identity by black tip, spinner and sandbar sharks. This local statistic adds great relevance to the present debate on limiting shore zone shark fishing in local counties.

Since tiger, bull, dusky and great hammerhead sharks were captured as often on mullet bait as on jacks or bonito, it is unlikely that a legal restriction on bait or chumming will be effective in limiting the capture of large sharks from the beach.

When a large shark is hooked, fought and dragged up on the beach it suffers physiological trauma, the severity of which depends on time out of water, air temperature and treatment by fishermen. It is likely that the time out of water creates oxygen deficiency and potential brain damage. Hanging or dragging the shark can easily damage internal organs, particularly the liver.

If the hook is left in the shark, lodged in the throat or stomach, this would add additional wounds. When we have examined large offshore sharks caught from the beach, an unusual occurrence for makos and blue sharks, we found swordfish longline hooks lodged in their stomach or throat. They were wounded and apparently came into shallower, safer near-shore waters to feed.

What happens to a wounded tiger shark released back into the surf? Will it linger near shore until it recovers, hunting for prey along the beach? Will it suffer from brain damage due to oxygen depletion and remain inshore to hunt for its next meal? Will it be so wounded that other sharks detect its vulnerability and attack it, thus ensuring its mortality? It is likely that all of the above could occur.

A large shark is not going to remain off the beach where it was released. We now know these animals routinely migrate hundreds of miles. Closing one beach and leaving an adjacent beach open to shark fishing is not going to limit the potential danger of a disabled shark release.

In Jon’s survey, most sharks were sacrificed for biological information on feeding habits and reproductive information. Very little was known in those days, when compared with today. Today’s shark populations have declined substantially, being fished for their fins and meat, or caught inadvertently on swordfish and tuna longlines throughout the world. Many sharks are extremely important top predators balancing all the ecosystems in which they occur.

We need them alive and well, not dragged up a beach for photos and sport, then released in with swimmers, dazed and wounded. Beach fishing for sharks imperils the shark as much as it does nearby swimmers.

Gilmore, Ph.D., is senior scientist, Estuarine, Coastal and Ocean Science Inc., Vero Beach.

[Team rebel]

This is ridiculous, and it is evident that this guy is a lore more than a two-faced fence rider.

[fixed80]

i kno one thing that causes shark attracts on swimmers in the water.... its all that playing and splashing around in the surf creating attention of the sharks that patrol close by.
its the truth though. where ever the commotion is going on in the water.... migratory fish(of all kinds) in the area will seek it out to feed. just like tuna, dolphin, kingfish, jacks and of course the
sharks.

so really if its all about safety.... close that swimming down.

[fishnfool73]

The swimmers splashing has little if anything to do with the sharks being near shore. Sharks were patroling the surf long before man thought of swimming in the ocean. Wounded or sick fish are forced into the shallows by tide or head there to get out of the current. Top that off with baitfish migrations that have taken place seasonal for eons and the sharks know where their meals are to be found whether to feed on the baitfish or other predators that are distacted in their own feeding. Sharks being neaar shore is quite simply a conditioned response due to centuries of finding meals there.

[fixed80]

that is true. but playing in the water could entice a shark for a mistakin meal.
anyway, ppl need to be safe from these critters. there are plenty of theme parks too choose from. let us shoreies take fun with these meanstor predators.

[crashmister]

Is this the same Gilmore that addressed the IR commission? If so maybe someone should ask him how he explains the stellar record of the Daytona beaches. Those are the beaches that have had an all out fishing ban on some but a complete Sharking ban for close to a decade. They have had consistent #s of bites every year. They tied the all time bite record last year, 9 years after the ban. If you ask them about this they ignore you. If draging a Shark on to the beach is so bad for them, How do they justify dragging a Shark on to the research boat as in the photos on RJ Dunlaps site. Truth be told these people can't defend their case with the facts. The facts are on our side. So they make up (fact's) or quote speculation as fact. Researchers have been using the same method we do for 40 years, And still do to this day. Even Dr Gillmore states that C&R goes back to 1974 in his research. What clinches this whole thing for me is they could care less about catching and killing or realising a Shark from a boat. Instead they pick the group that has the smallest impact on Shark #s of the entire equeasion. Bottom line is if they ban all beach Sharking tomorrow Sharks are still doomed. So what are the really trying to accomplish? Based on the data it's not Shark conservation.

[Jordan]

What they don't recognize is that many sharkers do practice the tagging of sharks.

Who cares more about a shark, someone who's willing to tag and then wade chest deep to make sure the shark revives fully, or someone who uses BS to get the sport banned?

[maddawgandcrew]

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

stop shark fishing off our beach's we want tourist that spend money on vacation and then decide to buy our new condos and pay taxes no mater what facts you have about sharks and protecting them .YOU ARE OR COULD BE scaring away tourist that spend money that's what these county commissioners are worried about not they could care less about protecting sharks they just don't want bad publicity about a shark bite

that's why i moved my arse out of that hell hole and up here to paradise

[fixed80]

somebody do something....

[crashmister]

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

stop shark fishing off our beach's we want tourist that spend money on vacation and then decide to buy our new condos and pay taxes no mater what facts you have about sharks and protecting them .YOU ARE OR COULD BE scaring away tourist that spend money that's what these county commissioners are worried about not they could care less about protecting sharks they just don't want bad publicity about a shark bite

that's why i moved my arse out of that hell hole and up here to paradise

You are spot on Mark!

[Team Shark Fever]

We need protection from these folks who want so badly to kill our sport because rightfully so the sharks are allready protected.We need to find some real solutions to take on these so called experts who are making recomendations based on false pretenses.If we don't come together soon and show these people that we will fight them every inch of the way we will have our sport dismantled and we'll have to go underground with our sport --and that is just not the American way.I laugh because I know that whichever way this goes I will continue to fish for sharks , if not here then in the keys, and if not then in the Bahamas or on some desolate beach in the far reaches of this state.

All you out there who read this know who I am ,and know that I am a man of action,and I will stand with anyone who is willing to fight these intellectual crusaders who live there lives behind a desk while we fight wars overseas to defend our freedoms,raise our families enjoying the outdoors and live our lives as free Americans enjoying nature every week of the year while they find ways to change our way of life from inside some dark room.

Now is the time to rally and have a SHOREBOUND ANGLERS SYMPOSIUM/CONFERENCE to draw up a Shorebound Anglers Constitution to defend all anglers fishing on Florida's beaches. Fight now or cry later.

[acorn]

Can Cowboy Justin come back?

[james380]