by ryan hiraki • rhirakinews-press.com • May 20, 2009 A shark fishing tournament planned for the first weekend in June at Fort Myers Beach
is drawing fire from Lee County commissioners, who want to protect sharks from harm and promote swimming at their beaches. Commission Chairman Ray Judah is looking into how the tournament is run &mdash specifically, where the fishing occurs and how many sharks are caught, killed and released. Judah plans to bring the issue back to the board for discussion at next Tuesday’s meeting. The event has captured Judah’s attention because it has grown into a festival, although the only shark fishing that commissioners can regulate is from county land, not in the Gulf of Mexico. “I can’t think of anything more barbaric than a shark fishing tournament,” Judah said. “It’s glorifying the killing of sharks in the waters off Lee County.” Jack Donlan, director of Are You Man Enough Shark Challenge 3, said anyone who is upset lacks information. The sharks are caught in the Gulf northwest of the beach, west of Boca Grande, Donlan said, so there is no threat to the shoreline or anyone swimming there. And most of the sharks are released.
The first two years of the tournament, dozens were caught, Donlan said. Seven were killed in the process of bringing them to shore for the competition, with the meat donated to charity.