Although great white sharks in the ocean receive a lot of attention when it comes to public safety, fishermen must exercise extreme caution when capturing and releasing other kinds of sharks.
Over the weekend, a 21-year-old guy discovered that the hard way after being hospitalized when a sandbar shark bit his leg on a Nantucket beach.
The sandbar shark, which was estimated to be between five and six feet long, bit the fisherman as he attempted to release it into the surf.
There is always a chance of getting bitten while touching a large shark in the surf, shark researcher John Chisholm told the Herald on Monday.
He went on to say that sandbar sharks are not an aggressive species and that a fisherman usually has to provoke the shark. It serves as a warning to fisherman.
The incident in Hoicks Hollow was first reported by the Nantucket Current on Sunday evening.
The fisherman was taken to a hospital via Medflight helicopter, according to The Current, and his injuries were not life-threatening.
Along Nantucket, sandbar sharks are a popular target for fishermen. Sandbar sharks are also unintentionally caught by striped bass anglers.
According to Chisholm, some fishermen find it exciting to capture sandbar sharks and bring them to shore. However, they must use extreme caution before releasing the shark into the water.
He went on to say, “We advise cutting the line as close to the hook as you can and letting it go.” It is not necessary to remove the hook from its mouth. The hook will rust out, but it won’t kill it.
Chisholm emphasized that people should ultimately trust the experts when dealing sharks.
Related Articles
-
Massachusetts whale watch is on a heater seeing white sharks: Something unprecedented is happening out there
-
Sharks chomping on seals off Massachusetts, feasting on dead whale off Long Island
-
Cape Cod National Seashore moving to fully cashless system, shark researchers urge beachgoers to be Shark Smart
-
Cape Cod shark detections: Where are the top hotspots for white sharks?
-
White shark in Cape Cod Bay chomps on hooked striped bass: Be aware the sharks are around
As part of an ongoing investigation of the yearly presence and habitat utilization of the species, shark scientists have been tagging sandbar sharks off the coast of Nantucketa.
After decades of overfishing destroyed the local population, sandbar sharks are now found throughout the Nantucket shore. A researcher at the New England Aquarium has tagged over 100 sandbar sharks in the region.
Overfishing for their enormous dorsal fin, which was highly sought after for shark soup, had decimated the local shark population.
Following its protection in state and federal waters in 2008, sandbar shark populations have been gradually increasing in recent years.
New regulations to limit shore-based white shark fishing were recently adopted by Massachusetts marine regulators.
With more anglers interested in pursuing great white sharks, shore-based shark fishing has been gaining traction, especially on social media.
In certain regions where white sharks are prevalent, shore-based shark fishing is prohibited under the new regulations that the Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission adopted.
According to the rules, the coastline starts at Plymouth Beach’s northernmost point, moves south to Sandwich’s Cape Cod Canal, then moves east along Cape Cod Bay’s southern shore to Rock Harbor in Orleans, then moves north along Cape Cod Bay’s eastern shore to Provincetown’s Race Point, and finally moves south along Cape Cod’s eastern, Atlantic-facing shore, which includes all of Monomoy Island and Chatham Harbor.
The rules do not apply to the waters around the South Cape and Islands, where non-white shark species have historically been targeted for recreational shark fishing.
Using mechanical or remote-controlled equipment to deploy baits while fishing from shore using rod and reel gear is prohibited, as is chumming during shore-based shark fishing in Massachusetts from sunrise to sunset.
