Indian River commissioners reject regulation of shark fishing from shore

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — A county proposal to regulate shark fishing from shore may be dead in the water.

After two months of debate, the County Commission majority voted Tuesday to reject County Attorney Alan Polackwich’s draft ordinance without asking for a revision.

“(Am I) disappointed? I can’t understand it,” Carlton condominium manager Doug Distl said. “This is Indian River County. We’re known for recreation, retired citizens and good things.”

Distl, who had sought an ordinance to ban the chumming and baiting for sharks off swimming beaches, said he didn’t want the county to gain new recognition as a shark fishing destination.

He said he would focus now on getting the Vero Beach, Orchid and Indian River Shores councils to regulate shark fishing through municipal ordinances.

In a 3-2 vote, commissioners approved a motion by Vice Chairman Bob Solari for “no ordinance,” effectively rejecting Polackwich’s draft.

Complete Story.

Shark Tournaments - Change From Within

How do you effect conservation change?

That question is the million dollar or million shark question depending on which side of the conservation fence you are currently sitting.

Smart conservationists know that conservation change, real and long lasting change, does not come from direct action, protests, or petitions.

Conservation change comes from new ways of thinking, alliances with forward thinking individuals and groups, and effecting change from within.

That's why we support the Guy Harvey Ultimate Shark Challenge.

We know hard core shark folks will decry the "support" of any shark tournaments but the bottom line is this - until today no one had taken a leadership role combining shark research, shark conservation, and catch and release into a certified tournament model. A model that will soon become the accepted tournament model to replace the 300 or so catch and kill tournaments currently operating in the USA.

Think about it.

Shark tournaments will not stop because they are money making propositions. Asking anyone to stop making money is hard, demanding that they stop without a sustainable replacement is a fools errand.

To change the shark tournament world you will first have to come up with a tournament model that is so successful that everyone will want to copy it.

Kudos to the team from the Guy Harvey Ultimate Shark Challenge, and to Guy and his crew for supporting the evolution of shark catch and release tournaments in the USA.

Taking "marlin tournament model" into the world of ongoing shark research and conservation is the way you effect conservation change.

After a hell of a set up...a huge surprise!

Score one for the fly fishing "catch and release ethic" this week and a 6 foot surprise on the other end of the line from the L.A Times:

A great white shark about 6 feet long and 150 pounds was caught by a fly fisherman off La Jolla last week.

It's believed to be the first great white taken off the California coast using a fly rod and reel.

Jeff Patterson, director of sales for reel manufacturer Abel Automatics, was testing company products about five miles offshore when the white shark hit.

"The grab was instantaneous, and the shark cooperated with a quick left turn to allow the proper hook set," said Patterson.

The fight lasted about 25 minutes. Patterson thought it was a mako shark until he got it close enough to the boat and skipper Conway Bowman identified it as a great white.

Complete Story

Gone Fishin' : More Next Week

We'll be at an "undisclosed location" this weekend- in the rain-trying to entice 5lb Caddis Fat Rainbows to come to our nets after slurping back a few hand tied imitations.

That means the shark blog will on hold too. May we suggest you visit the several very good alternate sharky blogs listed on this site until we get back...including you "Mr. Piedmont" what did we say about blog stalking last month?