By Maria Herrera
South Florida Sun Sentinel
10:07 PM EDT, July 21, 2009
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DELRAY BEACH - The sharks won. City commissioners have approved a ban on shark fishing that would prohibit anglers from fishing for sharks at the municipal beach or within 300 feet of it.
The vote Tuesday came after a showdown between local self-proclaimed conservationists and angry anglers who said they promote shark conservation to sustain shark fishing in Florida.
Conservationists cited declining shark populations and said that shark fishermen are attracting the fish closer to where people swim.
Fishermen said there is no chumming of the waters and that they practice catch and release, protecting shark populations from declining.
Sean Paxton, who represented the International Shark Fishing Association, said the city based the ordinance on slanderous information from groups that want to ban all recreational fishing.
"The letter [the city received] implies that there is reckless slaughtering of sharks on the beaches," Paxton said. "In the interest of more rational consideration of the facts: deny or postpone the ban."
City staff drafted the ordinance as a result of several complaints last month from residents who said they saw chum on the water and had seen a dead shark wash ashore.
Anglers proposed to work with the city to come up with a solution that didn't target all fishermen on the beach because the bait used for shark fishing is the same used for fishing for other large species.
Paxton also pointed out that the ordinance was brought about by one single complaint and not researched thoroughly enough.
Conservationists focused their defense on declining shark populations and they said that shark fishing is no different than hunting elephants for their tusks.
"Repeatedly baiting in one area can create dependency behavior," said Courtney Salamone, who supported the ban.
William Fundora, president of the Miami-based South Florida Shark Club, said the Commission ignored the fact that shark fishermen do not chum the waters and approved the ordinance on a basis of fear.
"We will be respectful of the law," Fundora said. "But I think it is a travesty that they passed this based on wrong information."
Mayor Woodie McDuffie said the ban is intended to protect the public, not to keep people from practicing recreational fishing off the beach.
"We have an issue of public safety," McDuffie said. "There's no possible way of knowing what's going to bite at the other end of the hook. There's no way to totally regulate what happens with equipment on the beach. What we are trying to do is to keep the treasure that is our beach safe for the people of Delray Beach."
The commission reworded the ordinance so that it specified that only the use of cut bait would constitute a violation of the ban.
Brendal Davis, a conservationist in support of the ban, said the ordinance would have had some teeth if it wasn't for the last-minute change.
"We're going to have to monitor their activities," Davis said, "and come back with a better proposal."
Maria Herrera can be reached at meherrera@sun-sentinel.com or 561-243-6544.
"2017 Team little rock
Never test the depth of the water with both feet"
I DO NOT SWIM IN THE OCEAN
GO BIG OR GO HOME
Just put a whole bonito on the hook for bait and your not in violation. Say you using it for goliaths
TEAM APEX
Just put a whole bonito on the hook for bait and your not in violation. Say you using it for goliaths
That was what I was thinking......just rig up whole fish and they should not be able to to say anything about it.
Just put a whole bonito on the hook for bait and your not in violation. Say you using it for goliaths
That was what I was thinking......just rig up whole fish and they should not be able to to say anything about it.
i was thinking the samething
it says it right there NO CUT BAIT
I think we got a way to beat the system 
TEAM APEX
I was there, and i stood up and spoke my mind when some local in support of the ban stood up before me and blasted the shark club, and our beach gathering!!!!! I must admit i did not get to say half of what was on my mind, but even though it ate me up at the time, the fact that i choked a bit in front of the mayor and etc, None of it realy mattered at the end, me and the 4 other SFSC members, along with the paxtons, tommie from boatless, and the rest of us fighting against the ban had way more public support, and we stated way more points, however the mayor and his staff had there mind made up before we even arrived, they completely ignored everything we said!!! especially the facts about chumming!!!!
SFSC -East Coast Events Coordinator
At least you stood up and spoke your mind.
TEAM APEX
I hate hearing about how the mayor seemed to have his mind made up before everyone got to speak there peace about the subject.......................but this got me to thinking, maybe when its getting close to time for re-election and the mayor is trying to be re-elected again this could be the time to make an example of him if at all possible by posting info against him and educating as many voters as possible about how he ignored the facts and went with the easy choice and how this is not the type of mayor the city needs. Maybe the fishing community in the area can talk to the new canidates and get them on there side before being elected and maybe even invite them on a fishing trip to show them how it actually is so no one can put thoughts into there head in the future. And if the current mayor does not get re-elected by all means let him know why he may not have been re-elected.
Oh well thats my 2 cents on the subject...........do not know if any of this would work but there could be time to plan some activities to better the chances of getting an educated mayor in office 
Has this been discussed on this forum if I missed it I'm sorry. These people really made us look like a bunch of ruthless apex predator slayers. (seesharks.blogspot.com/.../land-based-shark-fishing-in-florida.html) They even went as far as quoting this site out of context to their advantage. We really need to step our efforts to separate ourselves from this kind of publicity. If we are going to be perceived as sportsmen we need to educate our local groups, clubs and fellow anglers. I know in my heart this was done by some inexperienced shark fisherman with no forethought of their actions on the reputation of this sport. Lets get out there on our local forums and word of mouth and let the world know a few BAD APPLES exist but DO NOT represent our sport. If ya kill em take em off the beach. The dead predator on the beach is a bait that will give us a run we won't want to hear about.
I was there, and i stood up and spoke my mind when some local in support of the ban stood up before me and blasted the shark club, and our beach gathering!!!!! I must admit i did not get to say half of what was on my mind, but even though it ate me up at the time, the fact that i choked a bit in front of the mayor and etc, None of it realy mattered at the end, me and the 4 other SFSC members, along with the paxtons, tommie from boatless, and the rest of us fighting against the ban had way more public support, and we stated way more points, however the mayor and his staff had there mind made up before we even arrived, they completely ignored everything we said!!! especially the facts about chumming!!!!
at least u spoke your mind. the mayor only cares bout himself and noone else
How can anyone really police land based shark fishing? Unless you openly admit to targeting sharks, I dont see how you can get caught. Some of the biggest tarpon I've caught were off cuda fillets, monster grouper want huge whole baits and the best king mackerel bait are spanish mackerels. And dont you need long wire leaders to keep the line from breaking on the live bottom? cough cough! As for cut bait....what isnt cut bait? Shrimp? Finger mullet?
Shark fishing is prohibited here on the Hilton Head beaches, but they have no case unless you openly admit to it.....or have your wifes 30 pound pot roast on a grappling hook chained to a dock.
Dunta dunta dunta! Here comes Jaws!