HomeOutdoorsFeatureFWC may restrict shoreline...

FWC may restrict shoreline shark fishing

Beachgoers’ concerns about shoreline shark fishing have prompted the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to consider tightening shark fishing rules at its February hearing.

Proposed changes include prohibiting chumming for sharks from beaches, requiring a free, annual shore-based shark fishing permit necessitating online education, and requiring the use of non-offset, non-stainless-steel circle hooks when fishing from shore or a vessel.

The FWC gave preliminary approval to the proposals last week based on input from public workshops around the state last summer, with a goal of maximizing the survival of released sharks and minimizing public safety concerns.

“Increased public interest in shark conservation combined with growing human use of coastal areas and increasing attention surrounding shore-based shark fishing has led to increasing public concerns about shark mortality and disagreements about the compatibility of shore-based shark fishing and other shore-based recreational activities,” FWC Director of Marine Fisheries Management Jessica McCawley wrote in a memo on the draft rule.

Shark fishing
Shark fishing on Anna Maria Island’s beaches draws crowds and criticism. – Cindy Lane | Sun

A common concern of beachgoers is that shoreline shark fishing draws sharks to nearshore waters where people are swimming, but “sharks regularly inhabit and feed in nearshore water and there is no credible evidence that fishing increases the likelihood of a shark bite occurring in nearby waters,” according to a presentation made to the commission about the proposed rules last week in St. Augustine.

FWC draft rule proposal on chumming

68B-2.011 Chumming.

(1) It is unlawful for any person to place chum in the water for the purposes of fishing from a beach or wade fishing in waters immediately adjacent to a beach. This shall not be construed to prohibit the use of a baited hook when fishing with hook and line gear, placing bait in a trap authorized pursuant to 68B-4.020 in order to target marine organisms by enticing them to enter the trap, or the use of a baited trotline for the harvest of blue crab.

(2) For the purposes of this rule, “chum” means fish, fish parts, other animal products, or synthetic products created or intended to chemically or otherwise resemble animal products placed in the water for the purpose of attracting a marine organism.

(3) For the purposes of this rule, “beach” shall be defined as any area of shoreline along a body of marine or brackish water that is covered predominantly in sand, with sufficient sand above the mean high-water line to support sunbathing.

Under the rule, any person fishing from shore and using one of the following gears or fishing methods would be considered a shore-based shark angler regardless of the species targeted – using a fighting belt or harness, using a metal leader longer than four feet in length or deploying bait by any means other than casting (such as kayaking out a bait).

The rule also would prohibit delaying the release of prohibited shark species for any reason other than removing the hook or cutting the hook or line, and require that prohibited sharks remain in the water as much as practical while ensuring the safety of anglers.

“Post-release shark mortality in the shore-based fishery can be caused by stress on the animal from lengthy fight times that sometimes occur when bringing the shark to shore, which can disproportionately affect some species, including the great hammerhead,” according to the presentation. “Another potential cause of post-release mortality is injury to a shark’s internal organs which may be caused by bringing large sharks out of the water or damage to gills as a result of being exposed to air.”

Most Popular

More from Author

Cortez founded on mullet

CORTEZ – A visit by Dr. Angela Collins to the Cortez...

Underwater Anna Maria Island gallery

Hold your breath and take a tour of the limestone reefs...

Insider’s Island – The insider’s guide to outdoors AMI

There’s more to outdoors life on Anna Maria Island than you...

Mangrove jurisdiction differs by county

ANNA MARIA – The outcome of the removal of 116 feet of mangroves to build a seawall at a Gull Drive home may have been different if the property had been located in Sarasota County instead of Manatee County. A contractor removed some of the mangroves prior to...

Bunny & Pirates Bazaar to close soon

CORTEZ – The closing of Bunny & Pirates Bazaar is imminent, but not by the choice of owners Elizabeth Shore and Jeffrey O’Connell. The news of the closing was announced by the two business owners on Facebook on March 16, two days after a notice to vacate was...

Anna Maria responds to county consolidation option

ANNA MARIA – The city of Anna Maria has responded to a March 5 request for information from OPPAGA regarding the potential consolidation and annexation of the city into Manatee County. The cities of Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach received similar requests from the Office of Program Policy...

Jewelry Sale offers great deals for a great cause

HOLMES BEACH - For the second year in a row, the Anna Maria Island community has shown incredible support for the Island Branch Library. The Friends of the Island Library (FIL), a group of volunteers dedicated to fundraising and support for the library, held their second annual...

Ellen Scott celebrated

BRADENTON BEACH – Family and friends joyously celebrated the life and legacy of longtime Braden­ton Beach resident and honorary Privateer Ellen Scott at the Drift In on Saturday, March 16. Ellen passed away on March 1 at the age of 85. Ellen’s son, Bob Slicker, thanked those in...

Anna Maria increasing vacation rental registration fees

ANNA MARIA – The city is increasing its occupancy-based annual vacation rental registration fee from $84.17 to $93.92 per occupant allowed by the local vacation rental ordinance. The annual registration fee is estab­lished each year by the adoption of a city commission-approved resolution. The increased fees were established...

City Park renamed Jan Vosburgh Park

BRADENTON BEACH – The park across the street from city hall, referred to only as City Park, will be renamed after longtime City Commissioner Jan Vosburgh. The discussion of the naming of the beach access park just south of the Beach House parking lot was introduced at the...

Bird Tips

During bird nesting season, March through August, please follow these tips: Never touch a shorebird chick, even if it’s wandering outside a staked nesting area. Teach kids not to chase birds – if they’re disturbed, bird parents may abandon nests. Don’t feed birds – our food is...

Government calendar

Anna Maria 10005 Gulf Drive For information, call 941-708-6130 Please visit www.cityofannamaria.com or contact city hall for more information. March 21, 1 p.m. – Charter Review meeting March 28, 6 p.m. – City Commission meeting March 29, all day – City offices closed, Good Friday   Bradenton Beach 107 Gulf Drive N. For information, call 941-778-1005 Please visit...

Beach Nutz

       

Events

Wednesday, March 20 Creative Aging: Figure Drawing, Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 10 a.m. Holy Yoga, Roser Church outdoor stage, 512 Pine Ave., Anna Maria, 11:30 a.m. Nature Art, Robinson Preserve Mosaic Nest, 840 99th St. N.W., Bradenton, 1 p.m., $10 Coral Reef Science with Mote, Island Branch...