AND BACK TO NORTH CAROLINA. POLICE SAY THE CHASE BEGAN AFTER A BREAKING AND ENTERING CALL.
>>> A STORM OF CONTROVERSY
BREWING OVER PALM BEACH COUNTY
THIS WEEKEND.
A SHARK FISHING TOURNAMENT HAS
BEEN ORGANIZED SPARKING OUTRAGE
BY WAILED LIFE ACTIVISTS.
>> GLOBALLY SHARKS ARE BEING
DECIMATED WITH UPWARDS OF 70
MILLION SHARKS BEING KILLED EACH
YEAR.
LOCAL ANGLERS CLAIM HEAR IN
FLORIDA THE SHARK POPULATION IS
THRIVING, BUT IS IT?
IT’S TONIGHT’S DON’T TRASH OUR
TREASUREED.
>> 14-YEAR-OLD KATE LOVES
SHARKS.
>> UNFORTUNATELY THERE’S NOT TOO
MANY PEOPLE THAT ARE OUT THERE
WILLING TO HELP SAVE THESE
ANIMALS.
>> Reporter: AFTER 9 YEARS OLD
AFTER GOING ON HIS FIRST DIVE
WITH THE PREDATOR, KATE BECAME
AN ACTIVIST TO PROTECT THE SHARK
POPULATION USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO
SOUND THE ALARM.
>> YOU TAKE SHARKS OUT OF THE
ENTIRE SYSTEM.
>> Reporter: NOW URGENTLY ON THE
FRONT LINES OF A VERY REAL FIGHT
BETWEEN CONSERVATIONISTS AND
SOME FLORIDA FISHERMAN WHO CLAIM
THE ATLANTIC WATERS OF PALM
BEACH COUNTY HAVE BECOME WITH A
I TOO SHARKEY.
>> THERE’S A LARGE POPULATION OF
SHARKS THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW
OUTSIDE OF OUR COAST THAT IS --
I WOULD CALL IT AN ABNORMALITY.
>> Reporter: JASON IS THE
ORGANIZER ARE WITHED FOR THIS
SATURDAY’S TOURNAMENT VOWING FOR
CASH PRIZE FOR THOSE WHO CALF
THE BIGGEST SHARKS.
>> THE GO EL IS BASICALLY JUST
TO SHOW THE GOVERNMENT THE
NUMBER OF SHARKS THAT WE HAVE
OUT HERE.
>> Reporter: FOR THE PAST
SEVERAL YEARS, FLORIDA SUPPORTS
FISHERMAN HAVE GROWN
INCREASINGLY FRUSTRATE WITH WHAT
THEY SAY IS A DRAMATIC UPTICK IN
SHARKS DEALING AND EATING THEIR
CATCH BEFORE IT’S REELED IN.
>> SOMEBODY IS GOING TO SAIL
FISH AND THERE’S FOUR OR TOUGH
BULL SHARKS CHASING THE ONE SAIL
FISH.
>> Reporter: AND THE VIDEOS
SUPPORT THE FISH FISHERMEN’S
CHANGE THERE IS NO SCIENTIFIC
DATA TO SHOW A BOOM IN FLORIDA’S
SHARK POPULATION.
>> ARE THERE THAT MANY SHARKS IN
THE WATER?
>> NOT REALLY.
WHEN WE DO THE SHARK DIVING ON
OUR THE BOATS, WE ONLY SEE SIX
OR SEVEN SHARKS.
THAT’S IT.
>> Reporter: REISS IS THE OWNER
OF CALYPSO DIVE CHARTERS WITH
CLIENTS THAT COME IN FROM ALL
OVER OVER THE WORLD WITH AT
CONTAINING FREE SHARK DIVING
EXPERIENCE.
HE SAYS THE PROBLEM ISN’T MORE
SHARKS IN THE OCEAN, IT’S MORE
BOATS.
>> ON ANY GIVEN DAY YOU WILL
HAVE OVER 50 BOATS FISHING IN
THE AREA.
>> Reporter: SINCE COVID FWC
REPORTS 1 MILLION RECREATIONAL
VOTES ARE NOW REGISTERED IN THE
STATE OF FLORIDA AND WITH MORE
PEOPLE FISHING THESE WATERS, IT
WILL NATURALLY ATTACK MORE
SHARKS.
>> THE REASON IT’S MORE
PRONOUNCED RIGHT NOW IS BECAUSE
WE HAVE LESS FISH.
>> Reporter: JIM ABERNATHY HAS
SPENT 24 YEARS ESSENTIALLY
LIVING WITH SHARKS.
HE SAYS DON’T BLAME THE SHARKS.
THEY’RE THE ONES KEEPING OUR
OCEANS HEALTHY AND BALANCED.
>> FISH POPULATIONS ARE
COLLAPSING ALL OVER THE WORLD
BECAUSE OF OUR CONSUMPTIVE
HABITS.
>> COULD THE IMBALANCE BE THERE
ARE ALSO LESS FISH OUT THERE?
>> IT COULD BE, BUT, AGAIN,
THERE WOULD BE A PLETHORA OF
FISH OUT THERE, BUT THEY’RE
GOING TO GO AFTER THE ONE THAT’S
STRUGGLING.
>> Reporter: SENSE MANY SPECIES
OF SHARKS ARE PROTECTED IN
FLORIDA IN FEDERAL WATERS THE
TOURNAMENT ONLY GOING AFTER BULL
SHARKS.
OTHER SPECIES SAYS JASON WILL BE
RELEASED AND TAGGED SO THAT DATA
CAN BE SHARED WITH SCIENTISTS
TRACKING THE ATLANTIC SHARK
POPULATION.
>> THE QUESTION IS WHY DO WE
HAVE TO KILL THE SHARKS.
>> THE PURPOSE IS NOT TO THIN
THE HERD.
THERE’S ONLY A HANDFUL OF SHARKS
COMING BACK TO THE SCALE.
>> Reporter: STILL THAT’S A
HANDFUL TOO MANY.
THIS IS NOT THE ONLY SHARK
TOURNAMENT HAPPENING UP AND DOWN
THE COAST AND THE GULF THIS
SUMMER.
>> WE’RE TALKING MULTIMILLIONS
OF DOLLARS.
>> EXPOSING THE SHARK SLAUGHTER
AND WITH THOUSANDS BEING KILLED
AROUND THE WORLD EVERY HOUR,
ROTH SAYS THESE TOURNAMENTS NEED
TO STOP.
>> ALL THE EVIDENCE IN THE WORLD
THAT THE SHARK POPULATIONS ARE
DOWN BY 90%.
THERE’S 10% OF WHAT WE HAD 20
YEARS AGO.
THE SHARKS REALLY DON’T STAND A
CHANCE.
>> AND FOR CADE THAT’S SIMPLY
NOT AN OPTION.
>> TO KNOW THAT THESE FISHERMEN
ARE COMING TO KILL THESE SHARKS,
MY SHARKS THAT I’VE BEEN DIVING
WITH FOR SIX YEARS MAKES ME
REALLY UPSET.
>> BOTTOMLINE, WE DON’T KNOW
WHAT THE NUMBERS ARE HERE IN
FLORIDA.
SHARK FISHING IS LEGAL IN
FLORIDA PROVIDED YOU PLAY BY THE
RULES AND ONLY HARVEST APPROVED
SHARKS.
ONE FOR FISHERMEN AND TWO PER
BOAT, WHATEVER IS LESS.
THE TOURNAMENT IS BEING
MONITORED TO MAKE SURE NO LAWS
ARE BROKEN AND SHARK ACTIVISTS
SAY THEY WILL BE OUT THERE TOO,
AND SO WILL OUR CREW.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE