Bucky Dennis - Shark Killer Media

This is all that is left of a record shattering, 1,060lb pregnant hammerhead - deliberately stalked and killed by Floridian fishing guide, Bucky Dennis.

Last week we suggested that this targeted kill went by without much noise. As it turns out we were wrong.

Regionally, fishermen, guides, and shark advocates came forth to say "no more". This is a good thing as the "times-are-a-changing" and dead record sharks are less than well received these days. Kudos to all who raised a voice and to Mote Marine labs for refusing to take the carcass.

In the end where ever you have records you'll have those who want to break those records. Be it fishing for pregnant hammerheads (these animals have a predictable pupping season and weigh more) or pogo'ing around the planet...backwards.

Articles like this weeks St.Petes Times set the tone for further discussion and greater awareness to "targeted kills" such as this. Record agencies like the IGFA who, in essence cause and sanction these kills year after year, should consider taking pregnant animals off the list. In fact an interesting clause to take away previous records if animals are found to be pregnant would stop this practice all together.

Bucky Dennis is only a symptom of a larger problem and one that ultimately has a solution within the IGFA.

Food for thought. Here's Bucky in action:

Florida Tourism - Dying For Imagination

With the news of a 16 foot Great Hammerhead caught and killed off the Miami coast yesterday we thought this would be a good opportunity to look into the state of Florida's tourism.

Florida Tourism by the Numbers

57 Billion - The economic impact of tourism in Florida

6.9% - Current decline in hotel revenue for Miami-Dade region, Florida's largest

10% - Overall decline in tourism since 2007 and falling

Florida needs tourism dollars. The state is in free fall with sharply declining tax revenue, the housing debacle, and in some regions of Florida a shocking10% unemployment rate. It is time for Florida to reevaluate every tourism option they have and that includes shark tourism.

We have been harping on this for a while now. Since the ill fated decision in 2001 to ban shark diving in Florida's waters millions of tourism dollars have gone to places like Bahamas where divers enjoy safe encounters with sharks. Shark tourism, done right, could be plugged into Florida's existing scuba community to begin major tourism revenue generation in one year or less.

Those numbers include hotels, airlines, taxi's, restaurants, time shares, the economy. Since 2001 the state of commercial shark diving worldwide has "matured". With the proper protocols in place, oversight, and even stiff fines for operations that fail to follow shark protocol Florida could become a world leader in safe shark encounters drawing tourists from all over the planet.

One final number to consider - 200 million. The estimated value of commercial shark diving worldwide and growing. In countries like the Maldives, shark tourism already accounts for 2.1 million dollars in tourism revenue, an estimated 100 times more than the export value of shark meat from the region.

Looking at the Great Hammerhead caught yesterday by one tourist from Illinois it becomes elemental to estimate the ongoing value of that animal just as easily. Unfortunately for the struggling hotels, restaurants, and unemployed in the Miami region the only value they will ever see from that shark is on the Channel 6 news archives.

Let's begin to rethink shark diving in Florida.

Hammerhead Central-The Cape

Turns out this week there's one place in the USA that has more Hammerheads per square inch than anywhere else...and you can blame Osama bin Laden for the fact you cannot go and see them.

One of the stranger rules of unintended consequences we have seen in a while.

9.11 = shark protections = more sharks.

"The discovery of Cape Canaveral's importance as a shark nursery could help shed new light on the global decline of the ocean's top predators. Scientists are desperate to know more about the lifecycles of large sharks such as hammerheads -- one of the most vulnerable species to dying on fishing lines. By identifying crucial nursery grounds, they hope to improve federal management of large coastal sharks."

Young hammerheads and other juvenile sharks got a de facto sanctuary when the Coast Guard closed off the ocean surrounding Kennedy Space Center after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Aussies Flee "Terror Shark"-Cirque Cast Member Saves Beachgoers

Here we go again.

It must be a slow summer in Australia this year as shark stories have all but infested the front pages of the media down in the land of sun and surf.

At hand this week a small Hammerhead Shark washed up on a local beach and was quickly nabbed by a vacationing performer from Cirque du Soleil.

Actually that's not a member of Cirque. But that really is the official dress code for the Surf Lifesavers in Australia. The huge crowd of onlookers and laughing children were not there because of the shark.

Which brings us to the main point here. Sharks-especially small ones like these-are not dangerous to swimmers. Media hysteria and world opinion continues to demonize these magnificent predators and allow the slaughter of millions each year for just their fins.

Something to think about the next time you hear someone yell "shark!" at the beach.

If it was us we would be in the water faster than an Australian Surf Lifesaver could strap on his cool looking Beenie-Cap.