Spike TV Hunts for Monster Sharks

Martha's Vineyard Is No Place for a Monster Shark Fishing Tournament April 25, 2007 (I realize this is late, but PLEASE TAKE ACTION!!!) Martha’s Vineyard is the quintessential New England vacation destination, complete with quaint villages, charming harbors, and gorgeous beaches. People seeking respite have flocked to the island for generations to be greeted by friendly Vineyarders, whose economy depends on the seasonal influx of tourists. But the idyllic island image cloaks a sinister ritual sanctioned by local officials. Each summer, entrants in the Oak Bluffs Monster Shark Tournament hook sharks; bleed, suffocate, or repeatedly gaff them; and string them up on docks in gruesome, sometimes mocking displays—all for prizes and gory glory. In the 2005 tournament, some 240 boats hooked approximately 2,500 sharks and killed 46 sharks in the span of 3 days. In the 2006 tournament, stormy weather provided a partial reprieve; 26 sharks were killed. In 2006, the first prize went to a Connecticut team that caught a 482-pound thresher shark, garnering thousands of dollars in prizes. In the 2005 tournament, the winner of the most media attention was a boatload of fishermen who deposited a battered 1,191-pound tiger shark on the dock six minutes after the competition officially ended. That story ran in newspapers and on television stations across the world. The fishermen were hailed as conquering heroes who’d bested an enormous, vicious predator. Sharks' fearsome reputation has effectively kept most people from perceiving these creatures as sentient beings who suffer when struck or cut. Furthermore, the bloody spectacle of the shark tournament simply reinforces the mistaken belief that these are monsters that the ocean is better off without. In fact, as top predators, sharks play an important role in the ocean ecosystem, and we need healthy shark populations. Take Action! Tell the Oak Bluffs Board of Selectmen and the Martha's Vineyard Chamber of Commerce to give the shark tournament the hook. A Disappearing Predator Mass shark killing contests are not only cruel, but they also target members of already imperiled populations of slow breeding and ecologically important shark species. Like whales, most species of sharks reproduce late in life—some are as old as 20 years—and give birth to few young. It can take decades for populations to recover from being killed in large numbers by fishermen. Most shark populations are already in jeopardy. A study reported in the journal Science in 2003 estimated that all recorded shark species, with the exception of makos, have declined by more than 50 percent in the previous 8 to 15 years. The situation remains dire, despite recent international efforts to protect shark species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) has assessed the conservation status of 62 species of sharks. Of these, 21 were classified as "endangered"—meaning they face a very high risk of extinction in the near future—or "vulnerable"—meaning they face a high risk of extinction in the not so distant future. The other 31 species were ranked "near threatened," indicating that their status is approaching "vulnerable." Of the 15 shark species found in New England, home of the Monster Shark Tournament, the IUCN has classified the smooth dogfish as critically endangered and the white shark as endangered. Three other species are considered vulnerable and eight are near-threatened. The population data on the remaining two species is insufficient to evaluate their conservation status. Slaughter, Not Science Proponents of shark killing tournaments claim that such contests serve science because biologists can study the dead sharks, leading to greater understanding of the animals’ populations. But because shark tournaments target large sharks, studies of the victims of contest kills are highly inaccurate indicators of shark abundance and population dynamics. The truth is that shark tournaments exist because killing these unparalleled and at-risk animals is "sport" for some and "entertainment" for others. ESPN Aggrandizes the Tournament In 2005 and 2006, ESPN broadcast the Oak Bluffs Monster Shark Tournament as if it were a legitimate sport. Many in the nation, including The Humane Society of the United States, were appalled and called on ESPN to stop aggrandizing the cruelty. The network refused. Vineyard residents have many times expressed concerns about the tournament, some of which were conveyed by town selectmen in a meeting with ESPN. On April 12, 2007, 46% of Oak Bluffs voters voted against the tournament on a ballot question asking if they want the town to continue to host the tournament. Though the pro-shark tournament camp won the vote with a slim majority, the referendum was non-binding and in a letter sent to the Oak Bluffs Board of Selectmen following the vote, The HSUS reminded them that "there is still time for the Oak Bluffs Selectmen to take a reasoned, humane position of leadership on behalf of the community by declaring a moratorium on the destruction of sharks in the Monster Shark Tournament before further damage is done to shark populations and the reputation of Oak Bluffs and Martha’s Vineyard." Meanwhile, the Boston Big Game Fish Club already has its 21st Annual tournament scheduled for July 19–21. What You Can Do It is not too late to end this bloody spectacle. Tell the Oak Bluffs Board of Selectmen and the Martha's Vineyard Chamber of Commerce to end the hunt. Say that Martha's Vineyard should be known for its beauty, not the ugliness of a shark killing contest. Contact the Oak Bluffs Board of Selectmen The names of the individual selectmen are Gregory Coogan (Co-chair), Duncan Ross (Co-chair), Ron DiOrio, Roger Wey, and Kerry Scott. They can be reached by mail at P.O. Box 1327, Oak Bluffs, MA 02557. You can also contact the Oak Bluffs Selectmen's Office administrator, Alice Butler, via email, (abutler@ci.oak-bluffs.ma.us) or telephone (508-693-3554). Contact the Martha's Vineyard Chamber of Commerce You can reach the Martha’s Vineyard Chamber of Commerce via email(info@mvy.com), a web form (http://www.mvy.com/chamber/contact.php), telephone (800-505-4815), or U.S. mail at P.O. Box 1698, Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts 02568. http://www.hsus.org/wildlife/wildlife_news/oak_bluffs_shark_hunt_4-06.html