Massive Shark Caught Off Massachusetts

How many churches do you know of that can handle a couple of hundred pounds of radioactive shark meat?  

Sounds like an "ethical loophole" to me.

They'll feed it to homeless people, who have a much shorter half-life than the effects of the pollutants in a fish like that anyway.

Some other fishing "groups" regularly donate "extra" fish to homeless shelters and the like.  Perhaps at one of our tournaments we could do the same?

-Allen

Congratulations to those assholes for killing such an impressive fish...

It's "funny" that my first response was the same as to that giant catfish, and that was a feeling of sadness/loss.  Yet, I regualarly bring in sea life to grace my dinner table.  It just seems different to me.
Maybe because there is a large appearance of "it's just a trophy" rather than that it is a life that I will treat respectfully.

Maybe because there is a large appearance of "it's just a trophy" rather than that it is a life that I will treat respectfully.

You're right...it's just a trophy. Even if they DO eat it, that doesn't justify killing it in the first place...

It WAS a tournament with reward for biggest fish after all.  All the participants were prepared to kill the biggest shark they caught if they thought if was "in the money".  They had to have come to the personal decision that they were OK with participating in such a tournament, and killing large fish given the chance, before they even signed up.  Many of us here participate in "biggest fish" tournaments.

It's a great angling achievement in my book.  Too bad they missed the cutoff time by 6 minutes.  One of the deckhands on the Castafari frequents another board I frequent as well.  I'm waiting to hear his story.

Seems like the old "keep vs. release" debate has come up on a couple threads here lately.  I've seen this debate on too many fishing sites with all the sides of it presented.  My opinion, these debates add nothing to these boards.  The people that participate in these debates are too polarized on this subject and already have their minds made up well before the debate comes up.  That includes me!!!  And it's easy to pass judgement when you weren't in the situation.  To each his/her own.

What would I have done?  I have no problems fishing tournaments.  If I was in a tournament, I would have kept it.  If I was fishing non-tournament, I would have released it.  That I know for sure as I did not hesitate to release an 800# black marlin when I had the chance. See, I already have my mind made up.

I think it's important to know exactly what you'll do before you're even in the situation of having to do it and making a decision on the fly.  If you decide to keep a fish and second guess yourself later, there is no going back.

-Allen

Good point, Allen
In fact, Randy and I went around on how we feel about fishing in a tournament last Sunday.  I love the comraderie, but I will not be pleased with myself if I keep something "just" to win a prize.
So, I am still working on this issue for myself.  
Pat

To each his/her own...but I'd lose lots of sleep over killing that shark, even if it was for the grand prize. I'm not sure that killing something for money, especially a rare predator, is a worthy cause...Catch-and-release is a worthy cause, especially for big, slow-growing fish...

IMO: if you catch it - YOU BETTER EAT IT.

And since the fish was not wasted, I don't have a particular problem with it.

Legaly caught + not wasted = not a problem.


MolBasser

IMO: if you catch it - YOU BETTER EAT IT.

And since the fish was not wasted, I don't have a particular problem with it.

Legaly caught + not wasted = not a problem.


MolBasser

Whaling was legal at one point, and they weren't wasted...

True.

Why don't you work to change the shark fishing laws then?

MolBasser

The issue is that I am not particularly offended.

This was a mature fish that had passed its genes on numbers of times.  It was legally caught and it was not cast asside.  It was not caught in an industrial manner such as whales or other fish stocks that have been seriously depleted.  Sport angling is not what is killing fish stocks, idustrial fishing is.

There is no real difference between this and a trophy largemouth or bluegill for that matter.

If the angler that caught it made the decision to keep it, that is his personal demon to wrestle with.

Would I kill the shark?  I don't know.  I personally practice selective harvest.  I keep some fish and release most of the ones I catch.

If you keep any fish that you catch, you are on shaky moral ground condemning the killing of this shark.

MolBasser

BTW, if they had been 6 minutes faster, this would have been a $200K shark, so there was some serious money behind this tournament.  Does this affect anyone's thinking on the matter?  Just curious.  What's the difference between "if they caught it, they better eat it" and "if they caught it, it better be worth something"?   You can imagine how much food $200K can put on your plate.

-Allen

Congratulations to those assholes for killing such an impressive fish...

When you call certain people an asshole, there will be hard feelings.