03/14/2026
Shark fishing in Florida is under attack right now.
The arguments we keep hearing are that it “endangers swimmers” or “harms sharks.” But almost no one is talking about the damage being done by some of the so-called “shark activists” pushing these narratives.
Many of these influencers and “activists” are literally diving in the water and feeding sharks for social media content. Sharks don’t just swim up to people for Instagram photos on their own. When people repeatedly feed them, it teaches sharks that humans = food.
There’s a reason you’re not allowed to feed pelicans on the pier. Conditioning wildlife to associate people with food is irresponsible and dangerous. The same principle applies here.
These same groups often loudly support organizations like OCEARCH, but very few people stop to ask where their funding comes from. One of their major supporters has been SeaWorld, the same industry that sparked massive public backlash after the documentary Blackfish exposed how marine animals were being treated in captivity.
Yet somehow the small niche group of recreational shark anglers practicing catch-and-release from the beach are the ones being portrayed as the problem.
Here’s the reality:
Responsible shark anglers are catching sharks that are already cruising those beaches. After the fight and release, that shark isn’t going to hang around that same stretch of beach immediately afterward. If anything, responsible anglers are temporarily removing sharks from the immediate swim zone.
A perfect example was 2020. During the COVID beach closures in Florida, beaches were closed and nobody was fishing. The moment they reopened, we went out and caught eight sharks in three hours. Without fishing pressure, sharks had become completely comfortable cruising right along the shoreline again.
That alone should make people stop and think.
Responsible shark fishing is not the enemy of shark conservation. In many cases, anglers are some of the biggest contributors to shark research, tagging programs, and data collection.
The truth is simple:
When done responsibly and respectfully, catch-and-release shark fishing supports conservation and keeps anglers connected to the resource we all care about.
Don’t fall for misinformation or emotional narratives.
Use common sense, look at the full picture, and support responsible anglers who are actually out there engaging with the ocean and advocating for sharks.
This was copied from coastal worldwide , thank you for speaking the truth!! 🦈
