Before we ride off into the sunset for the 2026 summer season and take the fall run by the horns, I just wanted to wrap up the shark issues we’ve been seeing over these last several years, which seemed to get noticeably worse this summer. I don’t think anyone that loves to fish Northeast waters would argue the point that the recent explosion in shark numbers has caused compounding issues for all sectors of our saltwater fisheries. No matter which species you chase, no matter what mode you fish under, be it commercial or recreational, these sharks have become an everyday problem, for all of us.
I also wanted to thank all of you who have taken the time to submit your public comments after reading my Editors Log in the recent September edition; the numbers of Northeast anglers speaking up after that piece was published has been humbling to say the least. Seeing all of your comments has really made me realize that we’re a strong community and that we really can make a difference. I feel honored to be one of the lead voices, speaking out in favor of lifting protections on the exploding population of sandbar sharks, but I also feel that it’s important to recognize that I am not the only one.
People like Capt. Mike Roy of Reel Cast Charters have stepped into the spotlight as well, bringing on local media attention like he did with his interview with NBC Connecticut last month. Local anglers like Dennis Zambrotta, Dustin Stevens, Capt. BJ Silvia, Sean Hughes, Craig Cantelmo, Greg Vespe, Capt. Connor MacLeod and many, many others have posted their feelings publicly regarding the impact these sharks are having on local businesses and how they’re changing the recreational landscape in areas where summer/ocean recreation is the biggest business of the entire year.
I also feel that it’s important not to demonize those who speak up with an opposing view, even if they try to demonize us. Unfortunately, this is the climate we live in currently. It’s standard procedure to try to make anyone that doesn’t agree with something you believe in, look bad, or look stupid or bully them into shutting up. And this is irrefutably un-American, I don’t agree with these people who claim that the sharks are not overpopulated, but I 100% support their right to have that view and to register it as part of the conversation. I don’t want to get too patriotic here, or too political, but it was the recognition of the need for debate and to feature opposing views on equal standing, in all issues, that made this country what it is and the sooner we can get back to that, the better off we’ll be.
Since that editors log went live on August 24, there have been nearly 100 new public comments registered from the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions, I wouldn’t take credit for all of them, but I’m pretty sure that a lot of them were registered as a result of reading my editorial. The important thing is not how they got there, it’s the fact that we all – collectively – moved the needle. Prior to August 24 there were just three comments from the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic coastline, as of this writing, there are 102!
It’s hard not to feel great about that. But let’s keep the pressure on, if you haven’t submitted a public comment, simply use the following address and say your piece, tinyurl.com/SharkComments. If you would like to read the words of other commenters, follow this link: tinyurl.com/All-Shark-Comments.
A reader and friend brought up the concept that making too much of the impacts of shark depredation on the striped bass stocks could provide a new scapegoat for the segment of the angling community that believes there is no deficit in the striped bass stocks. Propping the shark explosion up as the whole problem. I want to make it clear right here and right now, that shark depredation is a new problem that is exacerbating existing issues brought on by two decades of unsustainable harvest. We, the recreational and for-hire segment of the angling community, have already accepted stricter regulations as a good-faith effort to keep the spawning stock numbers as high as possible while we hope for optimal spawning conditions and a robust YOY index.
The exploding numbers of sandbar sharks are not the cause of anything new with striped bass, but they’re definitely making a bad situation, worse.
