Hiya
Having joined this forum fairly recently, i've noticed that many of the members are very conservation concious. This is ALWAYS a good thing. Talks of bag limits, are they too generous, size limits, etc can only lead to the improvement of our fish stocks.
How-ever, what irks me is that on another thread, a angler is complimented on his great catch of a ragged tooth shark. Not taking away from the achievement of the angler, it was a huge shark and a phenominal catch, but WHY do anglers continue to target sharks??
Firstly, they're not edible. (besides Mako's). They do offer a great fight, but with the decline in shark stocks, is it advisable to harrass them even more? What percentage of sharks die becuase of being captured? Having hooks embedded in its throat surely can't bode well for a sharks well-being.
Whats even more appalling is that i've read of a Great White Shark that was washed up on a beach with a gaff still in it!! Great Whites are a protected specie here in SA.
Mention of catching ragged tooth sharks also abound on this forum. Here's a excerp from http://www.aoca.org.za/oceaninfo.htm#null
The Status of Ragged Tooth Sharks
Ragged tooth sharks are under threat in many parts of the world and the species is listed as Vulnerable by the World Conservation Union (IUCN 2000) Red List of Threatened Animals. The Red List rationale is based on the fact that ragged tooth sharks have one of the lowest reproductive rates known among sharks (one to two pups every other year), and that it is late in maturing (6-12 years) resulting in it’s inability to sustain heavy fishing pressures.
In 1984 ragged tooth sharks became the world’s first protected shark species, following their targeted hunting by fishers and spearfishers in Australia and their subsequent decimation in the 1960’s. Despite the implementation of a comprehensive recovery plan in Australian waters, they are showing no signs of recovery and are listed as Critically Endangered. A recent report has found that they could be extinct within six years unless drastic measures are implemented to protect them in this area.
Internationally they have come under mounting pressure; off the coast of the United States ragged tooth sharks are rare (80-90% decline) and are presently protected. The decline has stopped but recovery is not apparent. They are now absent from the Eastern Pacific, and in the Mediterranean and East Asia they are rare. Although ragged tooth sharks are commercially protected in South Africa, there has been little research into the biology of these animals and their population status is largely unknown.
Furthermore, in Australia, Raggies, called Grey Nurse Sharks (GNS) there, is a protected specie. Some area's have even been made reserves, because they are inhabited by GNS.
So WHY would competative anglers, who would be well informed about these things, still continue to target these sharks? Ego is the only reason i can think of.......
Regards
miles
Having joined this forum fairly recently, i've noticed that many of the members are very conservation concious. This is ALWAYS a good thing. Talks of bag limits, are they too generous, size limits, etc can only lead to the improvement of our fish stocks.
How-ever, what irks me is that on another thread, a angler is complimented on his great catch of a ragged tooth shark. Not taking away from the achievement of the angler, it was a huge shark and a phenominal catch, but WHY do anglers continue to target sharks??
Firstly, they're not edible. (besides Mako's). They do offer a great fight, but with the decline in shark stocks, is it advisable to harrass them even more? What percentage of sharks die becuase of being captured? Having hooks embedded in its throat surely can't bode well for a sharks well-being.
Whats even more appalling is that i've read of a Great White Shark that was washed up on a beach with a gaff still in it!! Great Whites are a protected specie here in SA.
Mention of catching ragged tooth sharks also abound on this forum. Here's a excerp from http://www.aoca.org.za/oceaninfo.htm#null
The Status of Ragged Tooth Sharks
Ragged tooth sharks are under threat in many parts of the world and the species is listed as Vulnerable by the World Conservation Union (IUCN 2000) Red List of Threatened Animals. The Red List rationale is based on the fact that ragged tooth sharks have one of the lowest reproductive rates known among sharks (one to two pups every other year), and that it is late in maturing (6-12 years) resulting in it’s inability to sustain heavy fishing pressures.
In 1984 ragged tooth sharks became the world’s first protected shark species, following their targeted hunting by fishers and spearfishers in Australia and their subsequent decimation in the 1960’s. Despite the implementation of a comprehensive recovery plan in Australian waters, they are showing no signs of recovery and are listed as Critically Endangered. A recent report has found that they could be extinct within six years unless drastic measures are implemented to protect them in this area.
Internationally they have come under mounting pressure; off the coast of the United States ragged tooth sharks are rare (80-90% decline) and are presently protected. The decline has stopped but recovery is not apparent. They are now absent from the Eastern Pacific, and in the Mediterranean and East Asia they are rare. Although ragged tooth sharks are commercially protected in South Africa, there has been little research into the biology of these animals and their population status is largely unknown.
Furthermore, in Australia, Raggies, called Grey Nurse Sharks (GNS) there, is a protected specie. Some area's have even been made reserves, because they are inhabited by GNS.
So WHY would competative anglers, who would be well informed about these things, still continue to target these sharks? Ego is the only reason i can think of.......
Regards
miles
