SATURDAY, WE’RE BUMPING THAT RAIN CHANCE UP, KEEPING TEMPERATURES HOT.
KRISTI?
>> WE’RE NOW GETTING REACTION
TO THAT CONTROVERSIAL FISHING
TOURNAMENT IN PALM BEACH
COUNTY LAST WEEKEND TARGETING
ONE OF THE OCEAN’S TOP
PREDATORS.
>> NEARLY A DOZEN BULL SHARKS
KILLED IN A CONTEST TO SEE WHO
COULD CATCH THE BIGGEST.
BUT TAKING AWAY THESE ANIMALS
COULD HAVE A HUGE NEG TIFF
IMPACT ON OUR OCEANS.
STILL, IT WAS ALL PERFECTLY
LEGAL.
WE HAVE TO WARN YOU, THE
IMAGES YOU’RE ABOUT TO SEE ARE
VERY DISTURBING.
HERE’S TONIGHT’S DON’T TRASH
OUR TREASURE.
THIS IS THE AFTERMATH OF LAST
WEEKEND’S SHARK FISHING
TOURNAMENT OFF THE COAST OF
PALM BEACH COUNTY.
11 MATURE BULL SHARKS HUNTED
AND KILLED IN THE NAME OF
SCIENCE.
>> WE ARE STARTING TO GET TO
THE POINT WHERE THERE’S AN
IMBALANCE.
THERE’S A LITTLE BIT TOO MANY
SHARKS AT THE MOMENT.
>> ROBERT NAVARRO IS ONE OF
THE ORGANIZERS, A SPORTS
FISHING CONTEST PROMOTER WHO
HAPPENS TO SIT ON NOA’S
ADVISORY PANEL.
NAVARRO SAYS THIS TOURNAMENT
WAS NEEDED.
>> THIS IS WHERE I MAKE MY
LIVING, I MAKE MY LIVING ON
THE WATER.
YOU’RE LOSING 50% OF WHAT WE
HOOK TO SHARKS.
>> LAST YEAR, NOA AWARDED A
$195,000 GRANT TO FLORIDA
ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY TO WORK
WITH LOCAL FISHERMEN TO STUDY
A REPORTED INCREASE IN -- WE
WERE APPROACHED AS THEY WERE
WANTING TO DONATE CARCASSES
FROM THE TOURNAMENT.
THEY WANTED TO HAVE SOME SORT
OF SCIENTIFIC VALUE ASSOCIATED
WITH THAT.
>> THERE ARE CERTAIN TYPES OF
TISSUES THAT YOU CANNOT GET
FROM LIVE ANIMALS.
>> ALSO THERE,
CONSERVATIONISTS WHO SHARED
THESE VIDEOS WITH US.
>> I’M A BIOLOGIST AND I GREW
UP DOWN HERE IN SOUTH FLORIDA.
I GREW UP SPORT FISHING.
>> AN ANGLER INVITED ON THE
PREMISES AND WELCOMED AT THE
WEIGH-IN.
>> WHAT I WITNESSED WAS
EXACTLY WHAT I EXPECTED.
PEOPLE EXCITED TO KILL ANIMALS
FOR NO REASON, SPREADING LIES
ABOUT THE NUMBER OF SHARKS OUT
THERE.
>> THE TOURNAMENT RULES ADHERE
TO FLORIDA LAW.
ANGLERS CAN ONLY LEGALLY
HARVEST BULL SHARKS, ONE PER
PERSON, TWO PER BOAT, WHATEVER
IS LESS.
BUT WAS THIS REALLY ONLY ABOUT
SCIENCE?
>> THEY’RE CALLING IT A
TOURNAMENT, BUT IT’S REALLY A
CULT.
IT’S NOT THE FIRST TIME WE’VE
SEEN IT.
WHAT’S CRAZY THOUGH IS IT’S
LEGAL EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK
HERE IN FLORIDA.
>> HE’S ONE OF MANY ACTIVISTS
WITH EYES ON THE WATER DURING
THE TOURNAMENT, MAKING SURE
EVERYONE PLAYED BY THE RULES.
BUT THE FISHERMEN ON THIS BOAT
WERE CAUGHT BEATING A
PROTECTED SAND BAR SHARK.
HARVESTING THEM IS ILLEGAL IN
FLORIDA, SO IS DRAGGING A
SHARK UNTIL IT DIES.
>> THESE THINGS ARE NOT MADE
TO DIE.
WE DRUG THIS FISH FOR TWO
HOURS.
>> THIS IS A SPITEFUL,
SPITEFUL KILLING EVENT.
>> THERE ARE NOT THAT MANY
SHARKS.
THERE ARE NOT THAT MANY.
>> ALSO WATCHING THE WATERS,
THIS SHARK DIVE OPERATOR.
>> PEOPLE ARE COMPLAINING THAT
THE SHARKS ARE EATING MY FISH
AND ALL THESE OTHER THINGS.
BUT THE REALITY IS, WHEN
YOU’RE OVER FISHING, THERE’S
LESS FISH FOR THEM TO EAT.
THEY HAVE TO EAT.
>> SINCE THE PANDEMIC, FLORIDA
NOW HAS A RECORD BREAKING 1
MILLION PLUS REGISTERED BOATS.
>> THERE WAS A MAJOR BOOM IN
RECREATIONAL FISHING.
THAT COMBINATION IS CREATING
HEIGHTENED INTERACTIONS.
IT’S VERY DIFFICULT TO SAY HOW
MANY SHARKS ARE OUT THERE.
>> NAVARRO IS HOPING THIS WILL
NOW PUSH A NEW SHARK STOCK
ASSESSMENT.
>> MY JOB IS TO REPORT TO THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HEY, WE’RE
STARTING TO GET AN IMBALANCE
HERE.
>> BUT FOR SHARK ACTIVISTS
LIKE 14-YEAR-OLD CADE, THIS
SHOULD SERVE AS A WAKE UP CALL
TO ALL WHO CARE ABOUT THE
OCEAN.
>> 5-10 SHARKS, IT DOESN’T
MATTER.
IF IT’S ONE SHARK OR TEN
SHARKS, IT’S STILL GONNA HAVE
AN IMPACT.
IF YOU TAKE THE SHARKS OUT,
THE ENTIRE ECOSYSTEM
COLLAPSES.
>> NONE OF THAT SHARK MEAT WAS
CONSUMED.
THE JAWS WERE TAKEN AS
TROPHIES.
NOT THE FINS, THAT’S ILLEGAL
IN FLORIDA.
NAVARRO SAYS 150 OTHER SHARKS
WERE CAUGHT, TAGGED AND
RELEASED.
BUT THOSE ARE HIS NUMBERS.
BULL SHARKS, BY THE WAY, ARE A
NEAR THREATENED SPECIES.
IF YOU’D LIKE YOUR VOICE HEARD
ON THIS, CONTACT FWC ANDSXAND N
FISHERIES.
SCAN THAT QR CODE ON YOUR
SCREEN.
IT WILL TAKE YOU TO THE DON’T
TRASH OUR TREASURE SECTION ON
Local10.com.
54 BOATS TOOK PART IN THAT
TOURNAMENT.
ONLY 13 CAME BACK AND ONLY 11
BULL SHARKS WERE FOUND.