Fishy story: OC works to stop unnatural shark baiting
The Ocean City Council unanimously passed an emergency ordinance on Monday, Aug. 15 to stop activity on the beach that brings large sharks to the shoreline.
The new ordinance states that it is illegal to fish with a baited hook that is sent into the ocean using a propulsion device or watercraft.
Ocean City Councilman Doug Cymek introduced the issue at a regular city council meeting after it was reported that fishermen operating north of 120th Street were bringing sharks close to shore and then releasing them in the area used by swimmers at dawn and dusk.
Shark fishing is still legal off the beaches in Ocean City, but the fisherman must manually cast the line into the water, according to the new ordinance.
According to Ocean City Beach Patrol Captain Butch Arbin, these people claim to be NOAA volunteers involved in the catch-and-release Apex Predator Program, a study that tags sharks to track their movements over the course of years. Arbin said much of what these supposed researchers are doing is against NOAA regulations and has nothing to do with the program.
He said on Monday that he has received complaints from concerned citizens, but the "researchers" only operate at dusk and dawn, outside the operational hours of the Beach Patrol.
Cymek said that these are not common sharks that swim near the shore, but larger sharks, around 7-8 feet, because of the unnatural baiting practice. He said large baits were dropped past the breakers using a kayak, and that the people involved in this activity provided tackle and photography services so onlookers could capture the sharks and pose near them before release.
City Attorney Guy Ayers said that he was already drafting an amendment to the city code to prohibit chumming, the practice of introducing bloody meat into the water to attract sharks. He said that a propulsion device known as a "potato launcher" was also being used to send baited hooks out beyond the breakers to catch these sharks and reel them in to the shoreline.
There was no agreement among the council that the alleged researchers were operating a business on the beach in violation of three sections of the city code, which would have been sufficient grounds to prosecute them.