SOS 014 // There once was a shark from Nantucket . . .🦈
ACK fisherman vs. Great White; Trump: "Fish, baby, fish!"; Right whale entangled in Gulf of St. Lawrence. Plus, this week's Ocean Nibbles and SOS Wish List, and the new🚨 Montauk Fishing Report!
Nantucket Fisherman Wrestles Great White Shark
“Jackass,” was my first thought when I read about Elliot Sudal’s adventure with a juvenile great white while surfcasting on Nantucket. Call me judgy but shark fishing is something relegated to the childish fantasies of 10-year old boys. Sure, it’s click bait. Guaranteed that Elliot posts his shark fishing “successes” on social media. Don’t follow him before reading the rest of this article. The fact is that humans kill 100 million sharks a year on Planet Ocean. Most of these unlucky sharks are finned/de-limbed then shoved over the side of the boat. Why, oh, why would a grown man target sharks? Enter Sudal, a man child stuck with a prebubescent (imho) fantasy life who brags about having caught “1000-plus sandbars and hundreds of duskys off the beach.”The guy even has an “apprentice.” When you educate yourself about sharks, you learn that sharks kill humans at an almost immeasurable rate compared to the inverse statistic. I’m looking at you, Elliot.
Trump Administration Opens Marine Conservation Areas to Commercial Fishing
Presidents want a legacy. POTUS is no different. Yesterday, President Trump signed the “Executive Proclamation Restoring American Commercial Fishing in the Pacific,” opening up remote Pacific marine conservation areas to U.S. commercial fishing vessels. Areas like the Mariana Trench National Monument are now an option for catching pelagic species like the Pacific yellowfin tuna (see photo). On one side, law-abiding American fisherman have been locked out of these areas while foreign vessels regularly flout regulations. On the other side, these areas have been protected for good reason. They provide needed sanctuary for pelagic species that visit them on their migrations. I support commercial fisherman. The vast majority of them respect the ocean, harvesting wild fish in a responsible manner. And we need them. Not everyone has the means to catch their own dinner. However, restrictions on fishing is necessary to keep everyone honest and preserve dwindling stocks. Globally, only 10% of Planet Ocean is protected as a marine conservation area and fishing restrictions apply to only 3.5% of the ocean. With 35.5% of fish stock classified as overfished, the administration is creating more opportunity to exploit previously protected areas. What could possibly go wrong?
North Atlantic Right Whale Entangled in Rope in Gulf of St. Lawrence
With a global population of approximately 380, North Atlantic right whales qualify as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act. The biggest threats to North Atlantic right whales are fishing gear entanglement and vessel strikes (right whales tend to spend most of their time on the surface). We can add climate change to that list. An ever-warming ocean alters the migration patterns of zooplankton, their primary food. This week, researchers in New Brunswick spotted a North Atlantic right whale dragging behind it a long length of rope from fishing gear. The search is on to locate the whale and, if possible, free it from the rope. Scientists estimate that 85% of North Atlantic right whales run afoul of fishing gear at some point in their lives. Most of the whales free themselves without human intervention. The species has a potential lifespan of 50 plus years. Let’s hope this whale is lucky enough to die of natural causes decades from now.
Ocean Nibbles
💩 Sustainably sourced seafood restaurant not so sustainable. The owner of the popular Dudley Market in Venice, CA was fined $150,000 for repeatedly taking fish from restricted areas to serve at the restaurant he advertised as a “source of fully sustainable, transparent, and lawfully procured fish.”
❤️ Engineered algae eats microplastics. When I get down about microplastic ubiquity, I try to calm down by telling myself there are a lot of very smart people working on the problem. Here is a good example.
🦑 Elusive giant squid in deep-sea canyons off western Australia. Scientists found evidence of giant squid by analyzing DNA found in water samples. Famously camera shy, these deep sea denizens have only been caught on camera a handful of times. The ingenuity of these scientists confirms previous hypotheses.
SOS Wish List
Revo® SX VoltiQ™ Low Profile Reel
Price: $249.95
I was late to the baitcaster game, acquiring my first just a few years ago. Maybe it was the Kool Aid they served at Angler’s Club, Montauk that day but I’m now a full convert who eschews conventional reels whenever possible. This new machine from Abu Garcia has the looks and technology you need. Cop one here. Thank me later.
🚨 Montauk Fishing Report 🚨
It’s been a strong start to the season at the tip of Long Island. Tons of bait in the water (you can see giant schools of minnows from your boat when fishing the north rips) has brought massive striped bass when the tide is ripping. Last Saturday, on Bounty Uncharted, my first cast produced a 40-inch cow. Subsequent casts by the crew and me were also successful. On a changing tide, look for diving birds and use any tin you’ve got. Take a quick photo and release the under/overs so they can survive for the rest of us. Bottom fishing has been much slower. There are a few fluke, Black Sea bass and porgies a/k/a golden sea bream around. They are mostly shorts, however. On recent trips, we weren't able to catch a single keeper of any of the respective species. Offshore is starting to turn on, too. Big eye, yellowfin, and white marlin were caught this week in Veatch Canyon. And there’s a fortuitous eddy of warm water approaching Block Canyon. We’re heading deep on Sunday. Stay tuned to find out whether we locate the fish. Happy hunting!