Releasing large sharks

[theangryangler]

Hi all was doin some surfin when i came across this article- The Australian Shark Assesment Report. Now I often read of the sharks taking a battering from "finners" However this report claims that some larger sharks caught by commercial and rec fishos often appear to be fine upon release but die later on.......


The handling practices of sharks caught and returned to the sea may also have the potential to cause cryptic mortality through a condition referred to as hemiplegia, that is, partial paralysis. Large sharks that are brought on board a vessel and returned to the water (eg on trawlers) are mostly returned via a noose around the tail which drags and suspends the shark. Due to the structure of the
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spine and the large cartilaginous sheets associated with the dorsal fin a fracture can occur posterior to the dorsal fin. Deformity of the spine and subsequent overgrowth of cartilage in the region may then slowly destroy the spinal cord, resulting in hemiplegia. Even though sharks handled in this manner behave normally on return to the water, any such damage may lead to hemiplegia and eventually death, due to inability to capture prey and/or compete with other animals (pers comm Butcher, World Wide Fund for Nature Australia 2001).


SOURCE- http://www.daff.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/681013/shark-assess-report.pdf

They are big and bite but still need to be conserved as hey are a vital part of the eco-system. NO SHARKS NO FISH!!!!!

Thanks ANGry

[onerabbit]

I never bring a shark on board over 6 feet,
then it doesn't get to swim away......

Anything over that size is released to swim & eat another day by cutting the line,

biggest to date, 9.5 ft hammerhead, about 100 kg or so,

hope he is still swimming.

Muzz

[nigelr]

I never bring a shark on board over 6 feet,
then it doesn't get to swim away......Muzz
Too right; too bl%%dy strong the bu##ers!::)
5ft is my limit, and then only something worth eating!
Cheers.

[tunaticer]

I release them all unharmed, too many people kill them as vermin or trophies and the balance gets upset quickly. I think the numbers that are present are not as big as people think, they are just larger predators that need larger quantities of food and therefore take more baits, after all, they are very easy to target and capture.

[TimiBoy]

Remember that the size limit for sharks in Qld is one per person in possession, and 1.5 metres maximum length.

Cheers,

Tim

[onerabbit]

Too right; too bl%%dy strong the bu##ers!::)
5ft is my limit, and then only something worth eating!
Cheers.

Actually I very rarely take a shark,
most times I can't be bothered with them,

but after a recent experience with a Mako around 6 foot,
or more correctly, the fillets from said Mako,
I believe I will be prepared to repeat it, very nice....
gotta be pretty careful handling them though.

Muzz

[the gecko]

This is true for most fish. they are not designed to be hung by the spine (by tail or mouth), and a slow death can occur once released. you also have to be careful with flathead or barra, you cant just hang em by the mouth with lip grips for your photo, and then release.

Andrew