Angler Gives Up World Record Blacktip to practice Catch and Release

[Tightlines667]

Saw this article and thought it might be of some interest...

http://www.southernfriedscience.com/?p=16763&fb_action_ids=10152207126187207&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%5B292358504250106%5D&action_type_map=%5B%22og.likes%22%5D&action_ref_map

[Cone]

I commend him for the release. Would I have? I don't know. There is no shortage of blacktips here.   Bob

[Tightlines667]

Right you are, this is one instance where NMFS agrees

According to 2012 Blacktip stock assesment for Gulf of Mexico the stock status was consider 'recovered', and is no longer in 'overfished' status.

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/Advisory%20Panels/AP2012/Fall/Amendment_5.pdf

[Keta]

Are they edible?

[Tightlines667]

I assume so, since there is a small targeted commercial fishery for coastal sharks in the SE US.  This fishery and other commercial fisheries which 'incidentally' catch sharks in the Atlantic and gulf have been highly managed and restricted since the mid-90s and signs are that these management measures, along with ban and associated enforcement actions on shark finning, and the considerable increase in catch and release fishing recreationally in recent years have all helped to move these stocks towards 'recovered' status since  the by and large spread dessimation that occurred in this region from the early to mid 1970s through late 80s.  Should be a sucess story really.  At least for the sharks.

[Shark Hunter]

I would have done the same thing.
The picture and the fight is enough for me. If something unfortunate happens and the fish dies, I will have no problem having Shark Steaks for Dinner.

[day0ne]

Are they edible?

Smaller blacktips are great eating. Anything over 4 ft or so seems grainy or maybe tougher to me

[Ron Jones]

Tightlines can correct me, but I believe that sharks are the same as many fish and the large animals are the primary breeders. I love eating shark, but as in anything their is a way to be smart about it and I'd say releasing the animal was the best answer. 120 pounds on a 10 Kg fly rod!! To cool.
Ron

[MFB]

Now that's a sportsman...

Rgds

Mark

[Tightlines667]

No correction necessary Ron.  Typically releasing larger females of any fish/shark species will have the greatest impact on future recruitment into that species population, typically...
'bigger, healthier, females produce more offspring with better survivability'
On the flip side in terms of reproduction some larger males can have negative top-down effects on future recruitment and genetic diversity in many species though the opposite can occur in others, where having large males is beneficial too.  Sharks in generel are a robust group that take a while to reach sexual maturity, and invest more into producing strong offspring capable of survability.  They will often times take a little while to develop the age/class structure necessary to recover, but once there they will typically outcompete other predatory fishes in the same nieces that are in recovery mode.  So removing heavy fishing pressure from a given system will often times result in a spike in favor of sharks given a few generations time.  Tapering fishing pressure off or redirecting it to specific size/age classes is actually a much more effective management tool to maintaining the overall health and diversity of the system.  Too often political-economic considerations outweigh the best available science though and we are forced to take drastic action once a true population level crash has occurred.  In general though when trying to recover a given species population you want to 1)protect habitat needed for increased survivability of juveniles, 2)protect forage base (easy if there are severel available), 3)Let individuals (ESP. Females) reach sexual maturity at least before removing,3)protect the large females that are producing the most young.  There needs to be balance in the size/age class structure at a population level though or things can spiral outta control...too many younsters will outcompete the energy requirements of the important larger adults for limited resources, or other effects.  Inter specific competition can have another top-down type real impact on species recruitment and survivability when faced with limited resources.  Like if the black-tip or other shark species is able to recover more quickly then it's con specifics it might prevent the recovery of say Hammerhead sharks because there more quickly increasing numbers are out competing a lower fecundity, longer lived ('S type'), species.  This in essence is why good overall diversity and slow and steady type changes are much better to maintaining the overall health of the system.  

Typically...
Let the big and small ones  go if there aren't enough of em, and do the opposite if there are too many.

[Mandelstam]

Good call! I commend him for it!

As for eating, isn't it a problem with all large predators that they accumulate toxins in their bodies? i know that's the case with halibut for instance. And the larger and the older they are the higher the levels are.

But either way, as the commercial sharking looks now a days, I would be glad to release one back to fight and live another day.

/Karl

[Shark Hunter]

Thats why the smaller ones are better eating. Better tender meat and less toxins. The Florida Blacktip is abundant. This one was a bigger one, and he put up all the fight he could against my 12/0. He was pissed! and swam away with a vigor I have never seen before!