“Please be aware that fishing for sharks is regulated by the State and federal regulations. Federal regulations prohibit targeting any prohibited species and anglers must release any prohibited shark immediately, without removing it from the water and in a manner that maximizes its chances of survival. For example, Sand Tiger Sharks are a prohibited species, therefore posing for pictures on the beach with this species or any other species on the prohibited list is a violation of federal regulations.”
The copy above is taken directly from the New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife’s “Saltwater Fishing, Crabbing and Clamming” homepage (www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/saltwater.htm). For dramatic effect, the entire paragraph is written online in bold red type. It’s especially worth noting the sentence that reads “posing for pictures on the beach with this species or any other species on the prohibited list is a violation of federal regulations.”
Can posing for a photo on the beach with a sand tiger or sandbar (brown) get you a ticket? Just ask the captain of the charter boat Spellbound out of Florida who was issued a $2,000 fine last year for a March 2018 hammerhead catch by Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller.
A protected species in Florida, the hammerhead was caught during a fishing charter by Miller who posted a photo of himself posing with the catch. According to press reports, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission opened an investigation after the social media posts led to complaints.
Authorities declined to charge Miller for the incident, but a published list of enforcement actions by NOAA Fisheries showed the owner/operator of the fishing boat Spellbound was stuck with the bill. This all begs the question, will the New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife and its fish police be checking social media posts to look for surfcasters posing with their sand tigers and brown sharks? If the photo goes viral, or if perhaps antagonists start reporting every Instagram or Facebook fish post they see to the local authorities, then I’d venture to guess the answer is yes.
Consider it another way; if you’re sending an email to friends or business associates and use bold red font to stress a point, how serious are you?
Other sharks on the “prohibited” list at NOAA Fisheries that require anglers to release “with minimal injury and without removing it from the water” include the Atlantic angel, basking, bigeye sand tiger, bigeye sixgill, bigeye thresher, bignose, Caribbean reef, Caribbean sharpnose, dusky, Galapago, longfin mako (not our offshore shortfin mako target), narrowtooth, night, sevengill, sixgill, silky, smalltail, whale and white.
You’re not apt to encounter many of the sharks listed above when fishing the surf; but to play it safe, any toothy shark you may sand this summer should be released as safely and as quickly as possible, without posting the “smile for the camera” hero shot to social media. If anything, have your buddy take your photo as you’re dutifully working to release that catch back into the surf.
Honestly, with the use of circle hooks now more prevalent than ever (and mostly required when fishing for sharks on the inshore and offshore grounds), I’m not exactly sure why NOAA Fisheries doesn’t allow a catch and release only fishery for browns and sand tigers. Both were viable recreational fisheries in the past, even without the harvest. As it stands now, anglers are not even allowed to target either of these species, much less take one for the table.
Just all of this in mind this summer as you’re fishing the surf and targeting bulls and shortfin makos, promptly releasing the rest!
