Jul 18, 2008 7:08 pm US/Eastern
Shark Hunt On Martha's Vineyard Sparks Controversy
MARTHA'S VINEYARD (WBZ) ―
Adventure seekers on Martha's Vineyard are out in the open water this weekend trying to reel in the catch of a lifetime.
It's called the annual Monster Shark Tournament, and it comes one week after people on Martha's Vineyard say they spotted a great white shark swimming near the shore.
On Friday, a six- and -a half-foot mako shark occupied a cooler on the deck of Chuck Arnold's boat.
"He came off the back of the boat on fire," Arnold explained.
To listen to Arnold describe man versus shark is to understand why fishermen are known for their tales.
"Somebody yells 'shark' or 'mako' and your adrenaline gets pumping and you're running to the back of the boat," Arnold explained. "And when one of the reels just screams the way they scream, everyone's at another level."
The Monster Shark Tournament is in its 22nd year on Martha's Vineyard. Some 200 boats set out before dawn to see who could land the biggest shark.
"Typically these guys are running 20 to 50 miles offshore," said Steven James with Boston's Big Game Fishing Club. "I know there are guys who fish within 12 miles of the island, but most like to go out into deeper water."
The weigh-in happened under a banner of protest. The Humane Society calls the contest shameful.
James disagrees.
"We fish for tuna fish, we fish for wahoo, we fish for bass and bluefish with exactly the same equipment that we fish for shark," he said.
Fishermen in the two-day tournament can bring in a shark each day. The highest combined weight wins.
Most are itching to get back out there.
"We all love just to fish for the competition, just like people like to play basketball," Arnold said. "Fishing takes a lot of luck but it also is a lot of skill."
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