Shark Saturdays will draw crowds, protests (PHOTOS and VIDEO)

Nothing draws a crowd like a shark on the docks.

And that’s what the 61st annual Destin Fishing Rodeo is hoping for this year with Shark Saturdays.

“It’s a legal fish to catch,” said Destin Fishing Rodeo executive director Helen Donaldson. “Hopefully it will get some people on boats.”

And that could be more important than ever. In recent days it looked like winter had hit the docks early as many of the boats sat in their slips. Chalk it up to a combination of kids back in school early, a down economy and the Aug. 15 red snapper closure.

But the event, which is controversial among animal rights and environmental groups, may also draw protesters to the scales, which are set up behind AJ’s Seafood and Oyster Bar.

“We want to do something persuasive, but pretty low key,” said John Grandy, the senior vice president for wildlife and habitat protection for the Humane Society of the United States. “We want to find a strategic way to get it more than opposed and get it killed.”

Every Saturday throughout the month-long October fishing Rodeo, anglers will get the chance to weigh in a shark. And the angler with the largest shark takes home a $250 prize.

Shark Saturday will be an open category to all boats. There will be no special entry fee for registered vessels. The shark must weigh at least 100 pounds to be eligible and only one per boat per day can be entered.

Lemon and nurse shark are not eligible as well as any other shark that is state or federally protected.
Shark that are fair game are bull, mako, tiger and hammerhead too name a few.

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DESTIN LOG PHOTOS AND VIDEO

To check out a photo gallery of the 844-pound mako, click here.

To watch another video of the monster mako being hauled to the docks, click here.

To find out how the record breaking shark tasted, click here.

To read more about the controversy of shark fishing, click here.

Destin and shark go hand in hand on DestinTube, click here for videos.

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A couple of weeks ago, the 4th annual Outcast Mega Shark Tournament in Pensacola kicked off with bull and tiger shark brought to the scales.

“If the shark weren’t out there, there wouldn’t be any tournaments,” Donaldson said.

But Grandy said regulators are behind the times when it comes to measuring the threat against the species.

“The fact is their management system for sharks is in the dark ages,” Grandy said. “They manage sharks by where they live but not by the species. It would be like saying to duck hunters, ‘Just go shoot ducks,’ but not differentiating on the basis of various species.”

Grandy said that the International Union for Conservation of Nature declares that “virtually all species of shark are threatened with imminent extinction or vulnerable to extinction.”

But Rodeo organizers say Shark Saturdays won’t have a global impact and are “a good thing” for the community.

“And five shark is not going to change the course of history,” said Rodeo weighmaster and fisherman Bruce Cheves.

Cheves said he will have a radio at the docks during the Rodeo, which will help him keep tabs on the boats as to who has a big shark on board and whether or not they should bring it in. This would keep the number of kills to a minimum — even though shark are plentiful, he said.

“If this fleet wanted to, they could catch enough shark to line up from Emerald Grande to the Destin Yacht Club,” he said. “There’s that many out there.”

He said he knew of one boat that saw 18 shark in five stops on a recent trip. “I don’t think that’s much of a shortage.”

The only feedback Donaldson has received thus far is: “ ‘Wow, that’s going to be fun,’ ” she said. “No complaints ... yet.”

But opponents of the event say they are still forming an attack plan. They point to their track record of sinking such events. The Humane Society is quick to take credit for scrubbing the Destin Fishing and History Museum’s longtime shark tournament, which re-emerged in 2006 but was eliminated under protest in 2007.

“I think we caused a sea change,” Grandy said. But as for Shark Saturdays: “They are just using it, for want of a better term, as a hook to get people there.”

Regardless, though, the Rodeo is ready to roll.

“The merchandise has been ordered,” Donaldson said.

The Rodeo will be setting up its trailer in the parking lot at Half Hitch Tackle over the Labor Day weekend for those who can’t wait until October to get that signature cap or T-shirt.

If you haven’t registered for the Rodeo and a chance to get in on Shark Saturday, there is still time. Boats, charter and private, can register all the way up until the day before they weigh in a fish.

The Rodeo has four sponsors thus far lined up for Shark Saturday with one more needed. Northlight Yacht Club is sponsoring the first Saturday, and John Ledbetter and Associates has Saturday No. 2. Guy’s Glass has the fourth Saturday, and @2Z Specialty Advertising has Halloween night, the last Saturday. The Rodeo is looking for a sponsor for the third Saturday, Oct. 17.

“We’re excited about it and we’re just hoping to get more people on the water,” Donaldson said.

WANT TO SPONSOR OR SIGN UP?
The Rodeo is in need of one more sponsor for Shark Saturday. For more information or to register your boat for the 61st Destin Fishing Rodeo, which begins Oct. 1, call Helen Donaldson at 837-6734.