AND 23 UNHATCHED EGGS WERE FOUND ALONG WITH 74 HATCHED LEGS. THEY ARE SLITHERING SOMEWHERE
OUT THERE.
>> AND WE’RE NOW GETTING
REACTION TO A CONTROVERSIAL
FISHING TOURNAMENT IN PALM BEACH
COUNTY LAST WEEKEND TARGETING
ONE OF THE OCEAN’S TOP
PREDATORS.
NEARLY A DOZEN BULL SHARKS WERE
KILLED TO SEE WHO COULD CAPTURE
THE BIGGEST.
WE DO HAVE TO WARN YOU THESE
IMAGES WE’RE ABOUT TO SHOW YOU
ARE VERY DISTURBING.
LOUIE AGUIRRE HAS TONIGHT’S
DON’T TRASH OUR TREASURE.
>> WHEW!
>> THIS IS THE AFTERMATH OF LAST
WEEKEND’S SHARK FISHING
TOURNAMENT OFTEN COAST OF PALM
BEACH COUNTY.
>> TAKE OFF THAT MASK.
>> Reporter: 11 MATURE BULL
SHARKS HUNTED AND KILLED IN THE
NAME OF SCIENCE.
>> WE ARE STARTING TO GET TO THE
POINT WHERE THE THERE’S AN
IMBALANCE, THERE’S A LITTLE BIT
TOO MANY SHARK AT THE MOMENT.
>> Reporter: ROBERT NAVARRO IS
ONE OF THE ORGANIZERS, A SPORTS
FISHING CONTESTER WHO HAPPENS TO
SIT ON THE ADVISORY PANEL.
NAVARRO SAYS THIS TOURNAMENT WAS
NEEDED.
>> THIS IS WHERE I MAY BEING MY
LIVING.
I MAY BEING MY LIVING ON THE
WATER.
YOU CAN GO AND FISH A WHOLE
SEASON AND NEVER LOSE A FISH TO
A SHARK AND NOW YOU’RE LOSING
50% OF WHAT WE HOOKED THE
SHARKS.
>> LAST YEAR NOAH AWARDED A
$190,000 GRANT TO FLORIDA
ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY TO WORK WITH
LOCAL FISHERMEN TO STUDY A
REPORTED INCREASE IN
DEPORTATION.
SHARKS CAPTURED.
>> WE -- THEY WANTED TO HAVE
SOME SORT OF SCIENTIFIC VALUE
ASSOCIATED WITH THAT AND DONATE
THEIR CARCASS.
>> Reporter: FAU WAS THERE AT
THE WEIGH-IN TAKING SAMPLES FROM
THE DEAD SHARKS.
>> THERE ARE CERTAIN TYPES OF
TISSUES THAT YOU CANNOT GET FROM
LIVE ANIMALS.
>> Reporter: ALSO
CONSERVATIONISTS WHO SHARED
THESE VIDEOS WITH US.
>> I’M A BUY EXPOLINGS GREW UP
DOWN HERE IN SOUTH FLORIDA.
I GREW UP SPORT FISHING.
>> Reporter: AND ANGLER INVITED
ON THE PREMISES AND WELCOMED AT
THE WEIGH-IN.
>> WHAT I WITNESSED WAS EXACTLY
WEIGH EXPECTED, PEOPLE EXCITED
TO KILL ANIMALS FOR NO REASON.
ED 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
CALL.
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 FLORIDAED.
>> ANN WALTON HAS EYES ON THE
WATER MAKING SURE EVERYONE
PLAYED BY THE RULES BUT THE
FISHERMEN ON THIS BOAT WERE THE
CAUGHT BEATING A PROTECTED
SHARK.
HARVESTING THEM IS ILLEGAL IN
FLORIDA AND SO IS DRAGGING A
SHARK UNTIL IT DIES.
>> YOU DROVE THIS FISH FOR TWO
HOURS.
>> THIS IS A SPITEFUL, SPITEFUL
KILLING EVENT, BY INDIVIDUALS
WHO REALIZE THAT THROUGH THE
STATE OF FLORIDA THE BULL SHARK
IS A LEGAL SPECIES TO CATCH.
>> THERE ARE NOT THAT MANY
SHARVETION.
>> Reporter: SHARK DIVE OPERATOR
>> THE SHARK ARE THE EATING MY
FISH AND ALL OF THESE OTHER
THINGS BUT THE REALITY IS WHEN
YOU’RE OVERFISHING THERE’S LESS
FISH FOR THEM TO EAT AND THEY
HAVE TO EAT.
>> SINCE THE PANDEMIC, FLORIDA
NOW HAS A RECORD-BREAKING 1
MILLION PLUS REGISTERED VOTES --
REGISTERED BOATS.
>> AND THAT IS CREATING SOME OF
THESE HEIGHTENED INTERACTIONS IS
IT’S VERY DIFFICULT.
>> Reporter: THAT NAVARRO IS
HELPING THIS WILL PUSH A NEW
ASSESSMENT.
>> HEY, WE’RE STARTING TO GET AN
IMBALANCE HERE.
>> FOR SHARK ACTIVISTS LIKE
14-YEAR-OLD CADE THIS SHOULD
SERVE AS A WAKE-UP CALL TO ALL
WHO CARE ABOUT THE OCEAN.
>> FIVE TON SHARKS, IT DOESN’T
MATTER, ONE SHARK OR 10 SHARKS,
IT’S STILL GOING TO HAVE AN
IMPACT.
YOU TAKE THE SHARKS OUT THE
ENTIRE ECOSYSTEM COLLAPSES.
>> SO NONE OF THAT SHARK MEAT
WAS CONSUMED.
BUT THE JAWS WERE TAKEN AS
TROPHIES.
NOT THE FINS THOUGH.
ABOUT 150 OTHER SHARKS WERE ALSO
CAUGHT, TAGGED AND RELEASED BUT
THOSE ARE THEIR NUMBERS.
BULL SHARKS BY THE WAY ARE A
NEAR THREATENED SPECIES AND
STILL THERE ARE MORE SHARK
FISHING TOURNAMENTS HAPPENING IN
OTHER STATES THIS SUMMER.
THE NEXT ONE STARTS THIS FRIDAY
IN ALABAMA.
IF YOU’D LIKE YOUR VOICE HEARD
ON THIS, CONTACT FWC AT NOAA
FISHERIES, WE HAVE THOSE LINKS
ON OUR WEB SITE, SCAN THE QR