Bull Shark butchered on the dock in Dania

[TheDom]

and what purpose does it serve to kill one after let's say it has killed someone. Oh, ya that is teaching that shark a lesson.

It's not so much teaching that shark a lesson as it is eliminating a threat. When someone goes out and murders someone, we put them in jail or put them to death: the threat is isolated or eliminated. When a dog attacks numerous people, the state requires that animal be restrained or euthanized: the threat is isolated or eliminated.

With sharks it is a bit different, as we don't know exactly what one bit who, and under what circumstances. Typically a shark will take what is to it a nibble, find out we taste bad, and leave us alone. That sucks for us, because a nibble for a shark is not so trivial for us. When this happens, there's no need for that particular shark to die.

When one bites a human, finds out it likes what it tasted, and comes back for more, then it is clearly a threat: it associates human with food. Forgive me, but I fail to see how anyone can see a predator associating human with food as anything but downright unacceptable!
Again, I'm not advocating massive shark slayings on the high seas. Absolutely not. However, in our society...hell, in every society, it is completely unacceptable to allow a murderer to roam free, especially so when they have demonstrated to a reasonable degree that they are likely to kill again. Granted, we have no way of tracking individual sharks, but if we did, why would we let a maneater roam free?
Thanks,
Dom

 

[Rick Murchison]

ANY creature, given the right circumstances, can be "dangerous". However, ALL of them serve a purpose in the ecosystem. Thus, it is illogical to imply that killing them without cause (i.e.: a life-threatening situation) is justified.

Oh, I don't know 'bout that... I kill mosquitoes and house flies with reckless abandon. And while fly maggots serve a useful place in the system, mosquitoes aren't essential to anything that I know of, except as a vector for disease.
Rick

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

Bats eat mosquitos. Not that I would not kill a mosquito just so a bat could eat, though

 

[Rick Murchison]

Bats eat mosquitos. Not that I would not kill a mosquito just so a bat could eat, though

But bats that eat mosquitoes eat other things too, and could do quite well without 'em. The male mosquito isn't a bloodsucker and pollenates plants, which is good, but again, there is no species of plant (to my knowledge) that is dependent on the male mosquito for its pollenation. No, if ever there were a few species whose extinction I wouldn't mind one twit, those would be mosquitoes.
Rick

 

[mempilot]

Rick,

So are you saying that bull sharks don't serve a purpose in their ecosystem? :06:
Dwindle the apex predators and the ecosystem is out of balance. We don't have great whites in SE FL, but we do have bull sharks. We see a small number of the sharks we used to. Many of the charter fishing boat captains in this area target sharks specifically because they can. They only see the surface side of the equation - money.

Now, I can see your points about catch and release being bad, so you have educated me in that regard(gut hook). But, your quip remarks show a bit of old school thought on fishing ecology. I'm no tree hugging hippy by any stretch of the imagination. But, if shark tastes so frigging good like many of you say, then why isn't bull shark steak on any menu at any seafood restaurant in SE FL? - let alone anywhere else in the country? Because the population numbers can't support it. So, it's still legal to privately catch them? Doesn't mean it isn't sad for me and others who enjoy seeing them underwater to be saddened by the sight of majestic animal being caught (maybe accidentally) for sport, killed, and then cut up in sight of the general public.

It comes down to numbers. Apex predators always exist in delicate numbers. These numbers are hard to sustain in the presence of man (the supreme apex predator). Comparing a bull shark to a mosquito is apples to oranges and you know it.

I'm sure if bears and other apeks predators where hunted, brought into town, and butchered in front of the public, then public opinion would be swayed as well.

So, if I don't like, that's my right. If you like to kill sharks and throw parties, then that is your right. But don't use mosquitos to strengthen your point. You just show how desperate you are to hang on to your old ways.

 

[Ana]

You are entitle to be sad after seeing that, to voice your opinion and even to sway other people's opinion on the subject.

There is no doubt that seeing with your own eyes has a deeper effect than just hearing about it, but public or not sharks are being caught (accidentally and purposedly). I understand authorities like you to deal with sharks openly to avoid irregularities, not sure about the details.

When I first read your post it didn't bother me because you included that part about the guy cutting it up. Knowing that it wasn't going to be discarded made the difference to me, that's just me.

To keep that ecosystem balance you mention is quite a trick. Look at what they did with the jewfish, for a while it seemed like they were going to dissapear and it became a protected species, now there are pocket areas where the jewfish is eating everything in sight, so much for a balance. Man intervention is seldom beneficial even when the best intentions are behind his actions.

Each time I asist a fish(or mollusc) to commit suicide while diving, I reduce my comsumtion of processed food. I'd like to think that is beneficial for the environment. I even share some of the catch with pelicans, seagulls, egrets and herons, making sure they don't choke with big pieces. Neither my husband nor I spear sharks but whatever it is we get, it does have a place in the ecosystem.
Where do you draw the line? and more importantly who should draw the line that you have to follow?

 

[ReefGuy]

I don't agree with just killing sharks, but my Grandfather was a guide fisherman, and growing up, I ate a LOT of shark - mostly sandbar and bull. It really is good tasting. If I were to catch one, I certainly would eat it.

 

[JustinW]

Thank you Rick any everyone else for calming this emotionally charged issue. While I suppose people still have a right to complain, it is legal to take these sharks in the numbers they are being taken in BECAUSE state biologists, federal law and international data supports that the population is stable enough for recreational take. Some species are not legal for take because they do not have high enough populations, species such as the great white etc.

All of the arguments about fragile apex predator populations are moot, because scientific data provides that populations are stable enough.

Another point on pelagics, pelagic fish wander all over, most of the time living in areas that are completely unfished by recreational fishermen, when the fish come in close enough to shore then they are accessible. To use the mosquito as an example, its a bit like standing on your porch and swatting mosquitos and a neighbor worrying about you eliminating all of the mosquitos in your yard.

 

[Rick Murchison]

Rick,
So are you saying that bull sharks don't serve a purpose in their ecosystem? :06:

Good grief!
That was mosquitoes.
Of course Bulls play a part in their own ecosystem - but that system can tolerate some harvesting of Bulls too.
As for me, I haven't killed a Bull shark in 40 years; haven't eaten any shark of any kind in 15.
Rick

 

[Hank49]

, mosquitoes aren't essential to anything that I know of, except as a vector for disease.
Rick

Here in Belize they help botflies. After an aerial battle it deposits its egg on the proboscis of the mosquito. When the mosquito then bites you, the egg is deposited under your skin and develops into a little maggot like thing which is locally called a beef worm. See? they do some good......for botflies.