Shark shooting??

[Memo]

Hi,
As a spero, what are you thinking about shark shooting? Imagine you saw a shark that you can handle, will you shoot it?

I know most of the guys in the db would say "NO!" as they are very used to see big fishes and sharks in their waters but whats the opinion of euro speros? Most of us diving in the med. never saw a shark before or seen few of them.

Personally I respect those animals but the idea of getting a large throphy seems attractive..



thats one picture I met on a spanish site...

 

[shaneshac]

That would be like shooting a Lion in the African Savannah. The idea sounds good but its better to see the king alive rather than dead.

 

[Pekka]

I have seen shark while diving here in the UK, I left it alone, although I have been told that they taste good by local fishos. I would really have to be desparate for food to shoot one of them, even a "just-the-right-size" kinda shark.. but then again, if there were multitude of them in the water like some of the rubbish fish like Wrasse, I wouldn't have propblems shooting one..

So to conclude my opinion, as there are only few sharks around I leave them alone.

Pekka

 

[Memo]

Shane I totally agree with you.. but every big game hunter has a secret wish to shoot one mean lion. (sure I dont want to see a big mean GW!!! )

 

[frogman]

Memo,
What is the other fish on the pic you posted? Looks like some type of big croaker? Are you sure the fish were caught in the Med and not in the Atlantic (maybe Canaries?). Anyway, there are plenty of sharks here in Florida and we always leave them alone. It is illegal to spear them (but not illegal to catch them by hook-and-line).

Angelos

 

[Memo]

I really dont know if this pic. is taken in med. I took this picture just because it shows a shark which is speared... and I'm sorry I dont know the other fish either

 

[shaneshac]

The other fish is a Corvina. If you see the name on my Avatar Argyrosomus regius that is that fish. That was caught in the straits of Gibraltar

 

[frogman]

I was right. It is a croaker, similar to the black drums and redfish here and the white sea bass in California. Shaca, Corvinas exist in the Med but they are a rare catch. They can reach 50 kg!

Angelos

 

[shaneshac]

57 kilo one

 

[Memo]

thats a beauty! I've never seen that one before. I guess corvinas are not popular inside the med?

 

[shaneshac]

No they spend their time on the west coast of Spain (Atlantic) and come to GIb occasionally. My grandad used to fish them from the shore but they are a lot rarer now. Its one of the remaining local species of fish I have not caught

 

[Memo]

Just checked out the fish base and saw that they can reach up to 100+kgs...

beautiful fish

 

[shaneshac]

They are like a huge sea bass but golden. They have a few large specimens in Barcelona Aquarium.

Went there on my way back from Rome

 

[frogman]

Corvinas do exist inside the Med. They are very rare. I know of a Greek diver who has speared several 40 kg+ specimens in the Northern Aegean. All of them came from 40 meter+ (no, he was not diving with tanks). The pics are here in the "Gallery" section under "Dimitris Zamboglou". So, memo, maybe you can get lucky too...

Angelos

 

[Memo]

who knows, even the dream of a 40kg+ corvina is fine

 

[miles]

hiya

We get them here in south africa as well. Locally called Cob/daga salmon. Also known as jewfish/mulloway in australia.

miles

 

[shaneshac]

Where do you normlly find them Miles?

How deep etc?

 

[Murat]

If the shark species you gonna hunt is not under protection by law. Taste good enough for you, and you wanna eat it. Then there is no ethical proble to shoot the shark.. Shark is a fish also..

 

[shaneshac]

I agree Murat, Its just I have never been in that situation.

If a nice blue shark were to swim past and the gun was ready who knows?

The Mako I saw was just too big to shoot.

 

[miles]

Hi shanesac

Check this out:
http://www.rabitech.com/rabitech_stealth_review.htm

Normally too deep for me though!!!:waterwork
They're not normally speared in cape town, because here they frequent the sandy beaches close to seal island area (remember documentary "Air Jaws"??, thats why nobody dives that area!!) Further up the coast (2hrs drive) they become easier to shoot. They're found basically everywhere, in gullies, caves, near estuary/lagoon mouths, sandy beaches,etc. Seen pictures of a couple of 50kg+ fish shot.

Managed to catch a 18kg fish last week tuesday (on handline though!!)

They're pretty plentiful in Natal, especially during the sardine run.

regards
miles