A Call for Responsible Shark Fishing

It's "" on the Discovery Channel, which makes it a good time to think about how to be a responsible shark angler—shark populations worldwide have been decimated and it has had a catastrophic effect on our ecosystem.

A recent study cited in Science Daily concluded that with many large predator sharks declining, their prey are free to feast on lower organisms like scallops and clams depleting valuable commercial stocks.

Patrick Douglass of the Shark Diver is convinced that the reason more Humboldt squid are populating our local waters is due to the lack of sharks.

"There used to be a giant buzz saw near Cabo San Lucas in the form of lots of sharks that are gone now. The squid have an open door now with nothing left to stop them," he said.

Some anglers argue that a recent sand bass and barracuda drought was a direct result of the local jumbo squid population, pointing to the coincidence that there were not many Humboldt squid this year and this has been the best local fishing year in at least five years.

Tom Raftican of the Sportfishing Conversancy in Long Beach said it’s time for anglers to do their part to help the predators of the deep.

"We need to employ our best fishing practices to help insure a healthy shark population," he said.

Here are a few tips for shark anglers:

1. Take only what you intend to eat.
2. Avoid the take of large pregnant females.
3. Minimize fight time by using heavy tackle and a fighting harness.
4. Use circle hooks to increase the likelihood of mouth-hooking your catch.
5. Maneuver your boat to follow a hooked shark and gain line whenever possible.
6. Raftican recommends going to the Pfleger Institute of Environmental Research website for more information.

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