While catching sharks off Isle of Palms is routine for many local fishermen, it will soon be illegal to purposely fish for them along the island’s beaches in certain instances due to the dangers they pose to swimmers and large groups of beachgoers.
IOP City Council members have been trying for several months to determine the best all-around solution to maintaining public beach and water safety while also weighing the idea of whether to allow shark fishing at all.
The matter was discussed at the June 3 Public Safety Committee meeting, again on July 1, then brought to the city council’s July 8 workshop for more discussion before being sent back to the Public Safety Committee for additional work, as no majority consensus for an ordinance was reached.
Part of the draft for the prospective ordinance reads:
- It shall be unlawful for any person involved in attempting to catch or take any shark or other marine animals that may endanger the public from any fishing pier or any beach or shore.
- Any person(s) who baits, fish for or otherwise attract sharks or other marine animals that may endanger the public within 1 mile of the beach or any coastal waters are in violation of this chapter.
At the June 3 Public Safety Committee meeting, Councilman John Bogosian recommended no aerial vehicle drones for commercial fishing and no commercial fishing along the beach.
“If you put those things in there, I think that accomplishes 90% of what we want to do,” he said. “We don’t want people attracting sharks on purpose.”
Councilman Blair Hahn mentioned completely banning shark fishing from the beach. “Sharks become very erratic when there’s blood in the water,” he said.
Councilman Rusty Streetman favors shark fishing under certain circumstances and places “subject to law enforcement overseeing it.”
Resident Micah Swanson said that while he supports no commercial fishing, no drones and no chumming to attract fish to a specific area, a complete ban is “prejudiced toward one certain group of people.”
“There are ways to do this and coexist in a safe way,” Swanson said, suggesting no holiday weekend fishing and specific times for beach fishing that would not interfere with people in the water. “This is an opportunity to show that there can be a middle ground.”
Discussion will be re-opened at the Public Safety Committee’s next meeting at 11 a.m. on Aug. 5, and the public is invited to attend and make comments for consideration.
“We have to deliberate and come back with a recommendation to full council,” said Streetman, “as to what we think would be the best course of action for the benefit and safety of all residents and visitors.”
By L. C. Leach III
I have been coming to Isle of Palms since I was 8 years old. Now 64. We love to play with the sharks off the Peer. In fact, looking forward to that is part of what attacks my family. We will spend the next two weeks playing there. If we can’t catch sharks we will find somewhere else to spend our vacation money. We swim and go out 50 yards past peer with no fear of sharks.