Is It Legal to Shoot Horn Sharks With a Spear Gun?

May 23, 2008

Question: I read your column every week in WON. Thanks for doing it. My question is about horn sharks and I’m wondering if they legal for me to shoot with a spear gun? I was scuba diving recently and noticed quite a few 2-3 ft. horn sharks off Palos Verdes but I cannot find any regulations regarding seasons, size limits, etc. Do horn sharks have any special regulations? If so, can you provide the regulation information for me? Also, is these sharks good to eat and worth the effort to bring home? Thank you very much for your assistance and keep up the great work.

Answer: There are no seasons or minimum size limits on the recreational take of horn sharks; they fall under the general bag limit of no more than 10 fish of any one species.

If you’re planning on your next outing to shoot these sharks to bring them home to eat, you might want to first ask around to see if you find anyone else who has tried them and liked them. Though I’ve never tried horn shark personally, I’ve heard over the years that they aren’t too tasty. Although horn sharks are legal to take, a suggestion would be to shoot just one, take it home and give it a try. If you don’t like it, you’re not faced with the dilemma of a freezer-full of something you don’t want to eat. Remember, wasting fish is illegal and unethical.