Massachusetts Fishery Officials Target Shore-Based Shark Fishing

Massachusetts fishery officials are targeting shore-based shark fishing. They say the state's beaches are becoming prime spots for anglers targeting white sharks for social media publicity stunts.

Boston.com reported last month that the state's Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission approved new rules for shore-based shark fishing, targeting areas along Cape Cod's coast where white sharks are most commonly spotted.

Although Massachusetts bans people from luring or capturing white sharks without authorization, efforts to uphold these regulations have often depended on whether authorities can prove an angler's intent. 

The Boston Herald first reported that the new regulations prohibit shore-based shark angling along Cape Cod Bay, beginning at the northernmost point of Plymouth Beach and looping around the Outer Cape, including Chatham Harbor and Monomoy Island. The rules also reduce chumming to certain portions of the day when shore-based shark fishing and outlaw the use of mechanized, remote-controlled devices to deploy bait when fishing with a rod and reel gear. 

“There's a lot of social media clout that can be gotten from this, and we've kind of heard through the grapevine that Massachusetts is the hotbed or is going to be the hotbed for this activity,” said Jared Silva, a fishery policy analyst with the Division of Marine Fisheries. Silva explained the dangers posed when anglers attempt to attract white sharks onto beaches during the summer when Cape Cod's beaches are packed with vacationers.

“They can't coexist,” Silva said.

Upon receiving the Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission's approval, the Division of Marine Fisheries said it will now begin executing the final rulemaking process and believes the updated rules will roll out later this spring.