Capture of 748-pound mako shark off Florida stirring up controversy

Florida anglers are being sharply criticized after apparently free-gaffing a 748-pound mako shark while fishing this week off South Florida.

The accompanying video, which is making the rounds on the Internet, shows the fishermen trying to gaff the free-swimming shark, which had become interested in a swordfish they had alongside their vessel. They succeeded in catching the predator and the footage ended up on a Florida TV station website.

A comment on YouTube from someone called Zencaster read: "I have been big-game fishing for 25 years and this is the most amateur kill I have ever seen. No wonder they have never seen anything like this before. They gaffed a green mako feeding on roadkill and were lucky they weren’t pulled in or worse, get their boat torn up after pulling him aboard.... What a disgrace, the fish deserved better."

Making note that no rods or reels appear to have been used in the capture of the mako, at least one shark conservation website claimed the anglers were in violation of state and federal law and implied it would follow through with authorities.

Luke Tipple, a marine biologist and director of the Shark-Free Marina Initiative, posted regulations that appear to have been violated.

"I’d hazard that I’m not the first to pick up on these fine points of the law but if the video does indeed tell the full tale then these laws need to be enforced," Tipple wrote. "If however the fishermen can provide video evidence of them using PRIMARY tackle (i.e. hook and line) to initialize the capture then they would be within their rights to have landed the shark.

"If this turns out to be the case then I will instead turn this report into a cautionary tale of how the media should be more responsible in reporting on shark harvests, particularly when dealing with species considered by some to be globally threatened."

The mako is listed as a "threatened" species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

-- Pete Thomas

Video: YouTube

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Comments

[Elizabet]

I am doing some research on Mako sharks for an essay. It is true that this killing was very sad and if the fishermen really did catch it unlawfully then they are contributing to the destruction of a beutiful animal. That's what happens if people don't follow the rules - something bad happens, others get hurt. But let's not be hasty in criticizing. The fishermen might have caught it with "proper tackel" -Who could really say?

Mako sharks are one of thousands of species that could be, or are, in danger. For makos this is due to big game fishing and their slow reproduction rate. We need to do everything we can to find ways of protecting these species. We need to get laws passed and to work on inventing new ways to do things so that it won't harm the world around us. I think the bottom line is that we need to take a step back and look at how special every life is and how much we are affected by what goes on in the rest of the world. (For example: Did you know that every time you buy a cell phone you could be contributing to the extinction of gorillas?)

I have to agree with the post above that said:
"I'ld love to see the people... fight the same way about the human lives that are taken daily."
Thanks Jeff.
Wake up world. It's not to late to open your eyes and see what really matters.

[bishr adi]

cruelty has no limits. it made sick to my stomach especially when i read the part about it being angry, does that give them the right to take its life? the majority of humans remain as heartless and uncaring as ever.

shouldn't this beautiful animal have been left in its habitat to live and breed?

aside from the sickening cruelty, shouldn't such a fine specimen have been left to breed. what negative effect does killing a genetically superior animal like this has on the species?

it made me sick and i really 100% hope the people responsible for this receive the same death as nothing would be more just.

[Greg Penta]

I absolutely cannot believe the uproar over this video. These guys weren't killing the shark for some sadistic thrill. Mako is an excellent eating fish, and these guys made good use of the meat. That makes it a good catch and something to get excited about.

There's an ignorance in all of your posts, those of you who blast these guys with your righteous tone. It's as if the sight of the kill suddenly awakens you to the unfortunate plight of the poor animals destined for our dinner table... and now all of a sudden you're up in arms. How often do you eat meat? Chicken? Beef? Pork? If instead this video had been of the slaughter of one of these animals, instead of crying for the shark... you'd be blogging for the more humane treatment of cattle and pigs.

Human beings hunt. Animals hunt. That's what we do. The inevitable suffering of the animals caught and killed is unfortunate, but that is life. Had all of you righteous "intellectuals" lived a thousand years ago, I doubt your empathetic hearts would carry the same politically correct sentiment, but then again... back then you wouldn't have had the convenience of being able to eat your food without giving a thought to its source.

These guys just saved a cow. Several hundred pounds of shark meet instead of several hundred pounds of cow equals one happy cow. What? Are you telling me that the Mako's life is more valuable than a cow's? To who? And why?

Granted, there's a whole lot more cattle out there... but really... you guys aren't complaining about the numbers. Your hearts aren't crying over Mako shark populations. You're crying over the humanity... "oh the humanity" of the poor shark. You saw the suffering shark, your hearts went out to it (understandably), and now your blogging about it. But guess what? Sharks aren't human. And this shark, at the end of the day, was dinner.

[Jeff]

First of all, has anyone thought about what they see on the news? There are people called EDITORS and they filter EXACTLY what information you see so that it merges quite well with their story. Any story that generates any type of "whirlwind" will surely be put out there to stir the pot more. These guys probably weren't right about what they did.
However, I'd love to see the people who want a person locked up for this, or say, stepping on sea turtle eggs to, for one second, fight the same way about the human lives that are taken daily. Come down from the tree hugging and use your brains, people.

[Danny]

The report is sketchy at best! The video is very chopped or edited.

I think it was a rod and reel catch personally,if so, they had a rite to take the fish.

If they did free gaff the fish(Very unlikely)then I say they to should get the gaff!!

[Greg H]

What a bunch of Bubba's! moron's like this give fishermen a bad name & give the enviromentalist more ammunition to close fishing area's. It is happenning as we breath in So Cal with the MILPA's

[Brendan Maas]

I would love to be in the room when these idiots kids years from now ask them why there are no more sharks in the ocean! Hopefully for all of us these idiots don't reproduce though, we clearly have enough red neck idiots in the world today. I truley hope that shark was able to reproduce before these idiots killed it, and one of it's off-spring seeks revenge the next time one of these pieces of sh*t go for a swim!

[Sean]

I hope these guys get the book thrown at them for needlessly killing this endangered animal. Totally uneccessary.

[John Augsbury]

I am disgusted with this type of gratuitous killing for the sake of macho egos.

[roy malleappah]

what a bunch of uneducated fisherman.If they did'nt wnow what type of shark they were catching,why catch it in the first place.The shark was roaming freely in the open ocean where it lives.To kill such a majestic fish is such a waste of life.It is sad that all we do today is KILL ,at the rate we are going even the animals will become victims of us humans.Sad ending for the magestic shark.

[Lynn Cordell-Frisby]

This is disgusting, what is wrong with these people wanting to kill such a beautiful creature in such a barbaric way. The Mako as you so rightly point out in your article are a threatened, and should be protected.

I do hope these 'thugs' are brought to account, serving a prison sentence for their lack of respect, brutality and violation of federal law!

Please do something about this, and then publish it widely as a warning to others!

[Percival]

What ever happened to sportsmanship? It's a sad world when people have such disregard for magnificent animals.

[Oceanic Defense]

A complete senseless killing of an endangered shark (status to be upgraded in January from vulnerable). These fishermen should be charged and be forced to sit through a biology class. That large fish took years to mature, and gives birth to very few young. ( looking at the video she may have been pregnant)

The reporter should investigate his stories a little more thoroughly. Sharks contain dangerous amounts of methyl mercury. It is urged by the FDA that people seriously limit their consumption of large fish (Shark, Swordfish, Tuna etc) It is recommended that women and children not eat these types of fish at all.

http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/60225/0

Another example of environmentally unaware fishermen. Question: Where was the fishing tackle? If this shark was simply gaffed we are looking at an entirely separate charge.

The law states:
No person may fish for, catch, possess, or retain any Atlantic HMS (Highly Migratory Species .ed) with gears other than the primary gears specifically authorized in this part. Consistent with paragraphs (a)(1) and (a)(2) of this section, secondary gears may be used at boat side to aid and assist in subduing, or bringing on board a vessel, Atlantic HMS that have first been caught or captured using primary gears. For purposes of this part, secondary gears include, but are not limited to, dart harpoons, gaffs, flying gaffs, tail ropes, etc. Secondary gears may not be used to capture, or attempt to capture, free-swimming or undersized HMS. Except as specified in this paragraph (b), a vessel using or having onboard in the Atlantic Ocean any unauthorized gear may not possess an Atlantic HMS on board.

Jeff Shaw
Oceanic Defense
http://www.facebook.com/OceanicDefense

[DubVegas]

That beautiful creature deserved to live. Very sad.

[Jeff Leicher]

If "somebody had to die today", I wish it had been the idiots on the boat. Idiots are not an endangered species.

[Mike Johnson]

This video makes me sick to my stomach!! It is outrageous to me that anyone could be proud of such a horiable act against an already threatened animal. These so called 'fisherman' should be ashamed and prosecuted to fullest,their actions are disgraceful at best! They should be held accountable and punished accordingly. Shame on the news media that ran the story and gave these guys their 5 minuets of fame. Instead of making them out to be local heros,they should have chastised them and made a point to mention how senseless and detramental their actions were. I think that the news media that ran the story should reconsider such stories in the future,they should not 'glamorize' these kinds of senseless slaughters. The marina should also step up and say 'no more' to any further display of shark killings. Unfortunatly nothing can undo what has happened,all we have is hope that through education and awarness these incidents will become less common and in the future.