Ethical Boundries

[Zane]

While targeting Bronzies yesterday I observed a group of anglers that manged to land a Bronzie in the 30kg size class.

Instead of releasing the shark they decided to swim it out as live bait. It brought me to think about what are the ethical boundaries in our sport, particularly around shark fishing.

In False Bay can we still afford to use our ever depleted shark resources as bait? Can we as sport anglers criticize commercial sharking boats of cruelty when there are trophy anglers who will not hesitate to swim out an adult diamond ray for a trophy Zambezi or tiger shark? What other sharks in False Bay other than Great whites would you be targeting if you are using a 30kg fish as a live bait?

Thought this would be an interesting debate to put out there...

 

[Enigma]

This past week we had small greys and bronzies taxed at St Francis point by some seriously big Bronzies. I have hooked in good Bronzies on swimbaits.

You are by law legally allowed to keep 1 x shark (Bronzie in this case) per day.

It is very good eating, ask any Ausie and myself. So wouldn't be wasted if kept and sharks over 1.5m shouldn't be kept as a result of the heavy metals found in their flesh.

That size Bronzie as a swimbait will be taken by any Bronzie over 80kg and they would normally as a pack attack the swimbait.

Many swimbaits that size or bigger are easily released if not taken by anything bigger.

There are probably 500 small Bronzies released in False Bay for every 1 that is kept / dies.