Whose the Monster…Shark Tournament?
Posted on July 22, 2008 - Filed Under Charity, Nigel Barker Today, Personal Picts, Photography, Studio NB, Travel Shoots
So why save sharks and why would I want to stop fishermen from competing at the Monster Shark Tournament at Martha’s Vineyard? Well here’s why – Shark populations have been decimated by 70 percent globally and by up to 99 percent in specific species like the Hammerhead. As the top predator in our oceans they play an integral part maintaining the fragile ecosystem that has been knocked so out of whack in recent years. Many of you are probably aware that many fish are in steep decline due to pollution, the spread of disease and unsustainable fishing practices and sharks are no different. Except of course that sharks are more similar to marine mammals than fish in the way they reproduce. Most species of shark take over 12-15 years to reach sexual maturity and then only have 3-6 pups at a time unlike other fish species that lay millions of eggs and can reproduce after just 1 or 2 years. Which means that sharks have a far harder time replacing their numbers when over fished which is exactly what’s happening.
Okay, so you might be saying how does a shark fishing tournament cause over fishing as they aren’t long line fishing, finning or dragging the ocean beds sweeping up all and sundry? The reason is simple – At the Monster Shark Tournament, the boat that catches the heaviest shark wins a $250,000.00 cash prize and there is side betting totaling an additional $250,000.00 for the winning boat. In the USA we have outlawed most other forms of hunting animals for large cash prizes and with such large rewards it drives hundreds of boats to go out and do their utmost to bring in the biggest fish possible. These sharks due to their size have reached sexual maturity and hence killing them causes the biggest dent in the population. To add insult to injury the sharks are unceremoniously hanged, drawn and quartered in a public display of butchery that mirrors medieval public executions. I believe that this sort of treatment of sharks breeds contempt for an animal that has already been wrongly villainized by Hollywood films like the infamous “Jaws” movies. Sadly we are so scared of sharks that many of us have a total disregard for their well-being and as a result we are seeing catastrophic results.
I was in the crowd photographing the various boats coming in with their catch and the sharks are literally strung up for all to ogle at. They are then cut down and sliced up in public. Can you imagine if other animals were butchered in the town square while families gather to video the event, have their photograph taken with the carcass and generally party on down abattoir style! Of course the local bars and stores make some money out of the tournament as there is a lot of beer drinking and general revelry.
As a father I hope to teach my children to respect the earth we live on and treat all the animals and plants with care and without contempt. There are many good fisherman out there who respect the oceans and know that in order to preserve their way of life for future generations we all need to be more aware of our actions and the results they may cause.
“A shark is a shark, a human can be humane”
For more information please visit the HSUS website www.protectsharks.org and www.marinebio.org
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20 Responses to “Whose the Monster…Shark Tournament?”
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I honestly can’t believe there is a tournament like this…
… and that this is legal!
It’s quite discouraging that such things go on in this world. I am very glad there are are organizations like the HSUS and people such as yourself to get the word out there and bring light to such issues.
The only thing I think people should do with sharks is go swim with them in their ocean, not kill them!
What a sad world we live in when we teach children that it is a “great sport!” to murder one of God’s beautiful amazing creatures simply to inflate a human’s ego. I will continue to fight with the HSUS and ASPCA to end ignorant sports such as this. Mr. Pacelle, I highly respect you and your organization! God help us win our fights to save the precious animals that share this planet with us. ☺
Thank you, Nigel Barker, for exposing the cruelty of hunting these fish. This isn’t fun!!! Not for all of us who don’t believe in killing as a form of recreation! And there are a bunch of us who don’t.
Bess McBride
I’m proud of you for finding a way of using your talent to send messages to the public about animal suffering. Through your eyes, even the most disturbing images ooze compassion & sympathy. Keep the photos coming.
It’s unbelievable how cruel people can be. I can’t imagine how somebody can enjoy watching other creature suffer. But on the other hand people probably don’t even think about it. For them it’s only an animal-a creature that was created for peoples’ entertainment, food,…
As I already wrote people are often very unfair to the different species of animals and feel only for those who look good, or are “popular” in this moment.
About swimming with sharks – I wouldn’t recommend:-) But that doesn’t mean that we should kill them. Of course I know that a human needs to kill animals for food but there are ways to do it almost without suffer.
Once again we get to see the infinite stupidity of mostly white males in their attempt to dominate the land and sea.
I am so sick and tired of hearing how hunting and fishing helps conserve wildlife? Can someone tell me what these ignorant morons are conserving?
And to add insult to injury, of course we know that money is involved here. Its not legal to gamble on the internet or anywhere else outside a casino, but it is perfectly legal to have subsidies and awards to promote the destruction and devastation of the top predator in the ocean environment.
This must be stopped now and forever. Wake up people, we are killing our planet and all the animals we share it with.
This is not my idea of family fun. Parents should be teaching their children to be kind and loving to ALL animals. This “sport” needs to be exposed as animal cruelty and made illegal.
The Earth is already suffering the effects of human ignorance. People must begin to understand just what cause and effect means. An effect is what happens as a result of the cause. To kill off the sharks will lead to the death of the ocean.
Ignorance IS NOT bliss. Thank you to the HSUS and people like Nigel Barker who already know this.
LoL…
Allow me to clarify: I meant swim in the ocean in general… not necessarily 3 feet away from the sharks…
Although to be honest they really do not care much about you even when you are close to them. They fear you more than you fear them… I’ve scuba dived many times and seen sharks. They really did not care much about me…
As long as you leave them alone and not bother them you are okay.
I have never heard of such event. As Nietzsche once said, “Man is the cruelest animal.” This is just another example of the callousness of some humans. When will these ignorant and pathetic people wake up and realizing this kind of cold blooded intentional murder of a living creature is not “Sports,” nor is it entertaining. It only desensitizes the children to the pain and suffering of the animals, and you wonder why is our society so violent?!
Sophia B., Reston, VA
Hunting shouldn’t be a sport. The only positive role hunters can have is killing those animals, that are wounded and wouldn’t survive (to shorten suffering) and to help some animals to survive through the winter…(some hunters do that, too).
About sharks and swimming with them – I have also heard that they are actually more afraid of us then we are afraid of them, but I wouldn’t be so confident with them.
Nigel-
Thank you so much for all you do for the seals AND the sharks. I am amazed by your compassion and courage.
All the best to you.
I can’t believe this happens in my home state, Massachusetts. I thought we were more civilized than that; what a disappointment.
Thank you for the wonderful photos and for defending these misunderstood creatures.
Take care,
Adriana
If they were true fisherman they all would have more respect for all that swimsthrough the water and understand that all God’s creatures are here for a reason. Why do people not understand that?
You Should never kill anything that you do not need to sustain yourself.The biggest problem your organization faces,is the fact that these practices are ingrained into the American society’s elite class’ way of life.Poor people can’t afford the equipment required for these events,nor can they afford the time off from work for “big game hunts”.I think that it is ironic how they (the American elite)claim to be so civilized,yet they,as a group cause more damage to the world than any other group of people in the entire history of the planet… I am totally ashamed of our society and its tendency to find fault with others before adressing our own evil ways…Welcome to America Land of the Fief,Home of the Slave!
I guess the elite class is pretty much the same in all of the countries of the world. Mostly they only care about themselves and about their looks & appearance. That’s where the fashion can play it’s role by promoting activities and lifestyle that is less harmful to the nature. The elite class is usually easy to guide, you only have to know how to lead them and the fashion has the perfect possibilities to do that.
Thanks Nigel for your pics. I also pray that the seal hunt will be banned for good. You took great pics from the pre hunt and during the hunt. It made me tear up. I can’t believe that these sharks are being killed for what? It’s so barbaric. I’ll make sure to post my opinion with Oak Bluffs.
[...] that buying shark products is not the way to go. And the Perfect Man aka Nigel Barker has done a lot of work with the Humane Society against shark fishing too, good for [...]
Fantastic post, very much useful information. I found your blog a few days ago on Technorati and have been reading it over the past few days. I am goint to subscribe your blog.
Your comments are pretty informed and helpful. Have you considered writing professionally? Like a periodical or something?
The Information Broker
Income for Life.
Thanks for taking the time to write this. I don’t agree with you completely, but you still have done a good job.