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Another Pinellas County town bans beach shark fishing
A ban on fishing for sharks from the beach is now in place in Redington Shores.
The town passed the ordinance banning beach shark fishing at its Board of Commissioners meeting Dec. 13. First-time shark-fishing offenders will face a $250 fine. Repeat violations will result in a $500 fine.
Redington Shores modeled its ordinance after Indian Shores, where police found a dead 10-foot tiger shark, pregnant with 40 pups, washed ashore in June. After an investigation with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Indian Shores police believed the shark was likely fished from the beach and left to die, leading the town to ban beach shark fishing in September.
“Protecting residents and visitors to our shores, along with the protection of the shark species that also call our waters home, is of vital importance to our community,” said Redington Shores Town Administrator Mike McGlothlin. “The recent passage of this legislation by our Commissioners is indicative of their hearing the concerns of their constituents about these two core issues and acting in a manner that addresses the associated concerns.”
The Catalyst requested data from FWC on the number of sharks found on Pinellas County beaches. In response, spokesperson Johny Veach said in an email that data from its Fish Kill Hotline may not be the best representation, noting, “Although we do get plenty of shark reports, the reports to the FWC Fish Kill Hotline are completely dependent on a citizen’s motivation to make a report. Fish kill reports only come from locations where people are, so if no one is around to see it, it doesn’t get reported.”
mike h
December 21, 2023at5:45 pm
So, if you are fishing what’s to say a shark doesn’t bite your bait? How can you control that? How can you enforce such a law? This is just another infringement on our rights to frickin fish on the beach.