With summer comes the slew of east coast Shark fishing tournaments, with their obligatory cast of rich drunk trophy fishermen and cheering crowds of savages high on blood and Budweiser at the weigh-ins. Great. This weekend brings us the Mako Mania tournament in Ocean City Maryland. Contestants will be vying to "earn" prize money by killing threatened species. Feel free to pay a visit to Bahia Marina on 21st street in Ocean City to hassle these decadent "sportsmen."

Read this, I can't make it up:

Makos are some of the wildest fighters in the ocean. Inexperienced captains are often afraid to bring one on board because they can suddenly come back to life hours after being brought in. Many will lash the shark to the side or back of the boat, and often they will shoot it first. Makos are notorious for surviving multiple gunshots to the head.

Both the OC Shark Tournament and Mako Mania have divisions for thresher sharks, which are stunningly beautiful creatures. They have tails that are usually as long as their bodies and they use them to knock out fish before eating them. Threshers have been seen trailing boats knocking baits around before they devour them. One year, a thresher was put up on the scales and then cut open, at which point a live baby shark came tumbling out of the mother's belly.

(For the conservation-minded folks sitting in on this blog, both tournaments have highly encouraged release divisions. Very few sharks that are hooked will be brought to the scales. As far as I know, the baby shark was returned to the ocean safe-and-sound.)

Source.

Uh...Yeah...I'm sure the baby Shark is alright.

Meanwhile, while Americans are killing Sharks for sport, New Zealand's Green Party is trying valiantly to get Shark finning banned in their waters. Shark finning is not illegal in New Zealand, which is sad and strange. The next step ensuring that there will be a Shark or two left in the sea, is for a UN resolution internationally banning Shark finning.

If it bleeds, it must be profitable.

Read.

If it seems like we have been a bit slow on the posts lately, it's because we have had a bunch of shitty social obligations. *Sigh* all tomorrow's parties...


--Sharky

technorati tags: Sharks, Mako Sharks, Thresher Sharks, UN, New Zealand, Ocean City Maryland, Shark tournaments

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