14 foot tiger shark killed

A group of local men were fishing Saturday morning when they snagged a 14-foot tiger shark.

Joe Morris and Mike Huff of Seasonal Seafood have been catching sharks for quite some time. According to the video below, the entire shark is used and sold with the majority of the meat going “to local restaurants looking for something special.”

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It’s pretty ironic given the increasing knowledge of the pollutants and contaminants found in sharks, especially large ones this like this. In case you haven’t had the chance, take a look at our blog from July 27 – Scientific Paper: Toxic Sharks. This paper was the result of scientific analysis of the meat from a large mako shark caught off the southern California coast. The animal showed DDT levels were found to be 100 times the legal limit of consumption allowed by the EPA. PCBs were over 250 times the legal limit. Mercury, 45 times the legal limit for women and children to eat it.

Catching sharks is controversial. Worldwide, many species are considered to be in serious decline because of overfishing.

Tiger Sharks are thought to be fairly abundant in this part of the Atlantic Ocean. They are considered overfished by NOAA because they grow slowly. The catch is managed by permitting and gear restrictions. For example, finning them, or catching to cut off the fins for sale, is illegal.

“I don’t like to see any large animal like that killed. But it is a legal fishery and (the boat) is harvesting a legal resource,” said Bryan Frazier, a wildlife biologist with the S.C. Department of Natural Resources.

This fisherman caught another shark that same day, and another 11 foot tiger on the following day.

Source: 14-foot tiger shark caught off Folly Beach – WCIV-TV | ABC News 4 – Charleston News, Sports, Weather