Shark tournament nets flak 7/29/05

Days after the Oak Bluffs Monster Shark Tournament ended, the Humane Society of the United States has launched a campaign to stop the ''contest of killing sharks." The Humane Society is asking ABC Sports & ESPN to not broadcast the tournament this year. The tournament gained notoriety this year because of a widely published photograph of a 1,191 tiger shark that was caught. The sharks that are caught and killed (only 46 sharks from 240 boats) are studied by scientists who then donate the meat. The scientists rely on this event to gather data that they would otherwise not have. The fishing club that sponsors the event stated "as fishermen, we are the ones interested in maintaining the sharks and the conservation of the fishery." As often is the case, animal rights groups do not realize that anglers are very concerned about conservation.