Shark Tourney Best of All Ideas

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Shark Tourney Best of All Ideas

Saturday, February 24, 2007

The fate of the Destin Deep Water Shark Tournament could be decided as soon as next month.

Dr. Timothy Holcomb, president of the Destin History and Fishing Museum’s board of directors, said when the board meets on March 13, the topic of the hotly contested shark tournament is bound to come up.

Members of the museum board met Tuesday with South Walton businessman and conservationist M.C. Davis and representatives from the regional and national offices of the Humane Society of the United States to discuss the future of the tournament.

While the tournament yielded no definitive answers regarding a 2007 shark tournament, Holcomb said his vote is in favor of a shark tournament this year. “I am not speaking for the Destin History and Fishing Museum or the board but after listening to the facts and suggestions of the Humane Society, my vote is a positive for the Destin fishing industry and associated businesses,” he said in an email to The Log. “At the present time, having the shark tournament seems to be the best of all ideas presented.”

The chief proposal from Davis and the Humane Society was that Destin host a festival or similar event that would celebrate sharks instead of killing them. Holcomb said this is not a realistic option for the museum, who uses the shark tournament as a fund-raiser.

“Since we already have a seafood festival, I personally do not see where these ideas (a shark festival) would be economically feasible or advantageous for the fishing community.”

Another option the Humane Society presented during the meeting was to turn the shark fishing industry into a cottage industry, where tourists would be taken out on boats to shark watch, similar to whales. Holcomb said this idea is not only unrealistic but potentially dangerous.

“Their idea to have shark boating trips to replace the tournament, by chumming the waters to bring sharks to the surface is inherently dangerous to swimmers and other tourists. I do not think that idea has been thoroughly evaluated,” he said.

Last year’s tournament, held in September, was Destin’s first shark tournament in more than a decade. Over the course of the threeday event, 11 sharks were weighed in and reportedly more than 700 sharks were released.

Holcomb said he believes that for the board to consider canceling the tournament, the Humane Society will have to provide more concrete evidence that the tournament itself has a detrimental effect on local shark populations.

“The Humane Society will have to show more research that defines the take of 11 sharks had any negative input into the overall ecosystem,” he said. If the tournament is held this year, Holcomb said the museum board is certainly open to rule changes and other ideas that would make the tournament more ecofriendly.

“I am sure we will work with scientists, the fishing fleet and other experts to try to please as many folks as we can. We will do what it takes to be both good citizens, sportsmen and as ecofriendly as possible,” he said.

If the Humane Society is successful in thwarting the shark tournament, Holcomb fears more of Destin’s fishing tournaments could find themselves in the Humane Society’s cross-hairs. “I do believe their motive is to start with the shark tournament, then mackerel, cobia, billfishing and finally to try to stop our annual fishing Rodeo. This is their first step,” he said.

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