Senseless waste or good clean fun?

Sundancefisher · #1 02-10-2009, 07:45 AM

http://www.justnews.com/news/18675952/detail.html

950-Pound Hammerhead Caught Off Miami Coast

Article is about a dude that kills a 16 foot hammerhead and wants to have it mounted.

There has been a huge increase in information regarding the effects of removing such large predators. Rays are the natural prey for hammerheads and with the hammerheads being killed off the ray population is exploding. Rays eat shellfish and now the shellfish fishery has crashed in many places and things will only get worse.

I strongly believe that we have a right to kill but also to protect what we catch. What do others think? Should this shark have been killed?

There are always alternatives to killing like a graphite replica mount.

Cheers

Sun

sky-guy · #2 02-10-2009, 01:40 PM

I would have to say no, its not worth the impact it would have. There are huge problems with over fishing sharks (shark fins are worth their weight in gold!) costa rica and the Golopagos isl's have recently legalized longlining for sharks (which kills all kinds of marine life) because shark populations are so depleted that drastic fishing measures are the only way to collect their fins. What is it about us that refuses to learn these lessons?!

Mish · #3 02-10-2009, 02:00 PM

What the hell is this guy thinking? I wouldn't be surprised if PETA paid him to make all those who hunt and fish look like insensitive, disrespectful people who have a total disregard for the balance of nature. Just kidding...kinda...

TreeGuy · #4 02-10-2009, 09:09 PM

I dunno. The article doesn't really say much. Perhaps the shark would not have survived being released. So what? The impact on these amazing animals has to be next to nil from guys with rods in comparison to the factory freezer ships out there supplying the insationable asian markets.

Tree

Jester · #5 02-10-2009, 09:16 PM

I voted...

Quote:

Yes...it was his right and the mount will be cool

It's no different than someone keeping a 35lbs pike caught legally in an Alberta lake.

If it was legally caught then it was his fish and he can do whatever he wants with it....Except waste it ofcourse.

packhuntr · #6 02-11-2009, 06:32 AM

No one should legally have "the right" to kill a 35lb pike out of a closed body of water in Alberta. SRD isnt smart enough to understand the concept, so here I go,,,, Lord, bring on some regulations for this province

. I dont know much about the oceans so cant comment, but I voted MUCH different than you Jester...

whitewolf · #7 02-11-2009, 11:10 AM

no i fished alot of years in florida when i lived there and only ever killed one shark for the table which was a small black tip shark,other than that all were released to make baby sharks...most were caught on the beach....black tip,white tip,spinner shark and yes even a nine foot hammer head....take your measurements and put them back...they are not a threat as again i had caught them on the beach and you wouldnt even know they are there if you wernt fishing for them...just like people dont realize there is sal****er aligators in the waters of the beaches....i have swimmed and fished both around me and never had a problem....alot of myths around these animals and killing them makes things of balance and i dont know alot of fresh water biolagy,i do know alot more about salt water and the ecosystem....my two cents worth

whitewolf · #8 02-11-2009, 11:31 AM

oh and the problem with stingrays if know one knows is they lye hidden in the sand until you step on them and they jab you in the leg with the spine on there tail and it is very painful...had a friend get jabed and it went through his leg,there will be more incidents of that and it happens more then shark attacks and a shark that size wouldnt be very good eating and by the time they make the mould of it,it would be not edible so its a wast in my point...my dad always told me you hunt to eat,you fish to eat...your not out to decorate the wall...

gpguy7 · #9 02-11-2009, 02:56 PM

in the long run, this is one 16 foot hammerhead, that one angler caught on a rod and reel. think about all the sharks that are caught up in nets by fishermen that aren't thrown back. If there is no law against it, then he has every right to keep the shark and have an awesome looking mount in his living room.