The Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo markets itself as the largest fishing tournament in the world, and while it remains a beloved Gulf Coast tradition, the event’s revived practice of catching and dissecting sharks for scientific research has drawn renewed criticism from online activists.
At this year’s rodeo, which wrapped up Sunday, sport, science and animal rights activism collided.
“Sharks have become more than the fish they are,” said Marcus Drymon, a professor at Mississippi State University and a judge at the rodeo. “They’ve been elevated as a species. Yet they are still managed as a harvestable resource, just like a red snapper.”
Photography and filming in the area where sharks are caught and dissected is prohibited at the rodeo, though that hasn’t stopped people from trying to get pictures. On Saturday, a mystery drone flew over the rodeo docks, prompting research students to pause their work and cover the shark from which they were taking samples.
“[It] can come across to the public as if we’re hiding what we’re trying to do,” Drymon said. “Nothing can be further from the truth. We want to be out showing our work…but for the safety of our scientists and for their privacy and wellbeing, we’ve chosen to barricade the area where we’re doing the science.”
Drymon said he has had his cellphone number released online and has received threats from critics of the research practices. Cody Ward, vice president of publicity for the rodeo, deferred questions about the no-film policy to Drymon but said the event, organized by the Mobile Jaycees, supports Drymon’s research and enforces the policy for the safety of researchers and participants alike.
Among the critics this year was a social media personality and videographer who traveled from Switzerland to document what he described as the event’s practices. He was removed from the rodeo Friday after allegedly attempting to film, according to Drymon, though he said he did not have a camera out when he was escorted off the grounds. He said this was his third year attending the rodeo.
Two species of shark are eligible for the rodeo: the tiger shark and the bull shark, both of which inhabit the coastal waters of Alabama and other Gulf states. A qualifying shark must measure at least 80 inches in “fork length,” from the tip of the snout to the fork in the tail fin.
According to Sean Powers, senior marine scientist at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab and a rodeo judge, both shark populations in the Gulf remain relatively healthy and can safely support limited fishing. Once anglers bring the sharks ashore and they are weighed, scientists quickly take samples to study everything from diet to migration patterns. The process, which involves removing organs and cutting sections of fin, is graphic, and Drymon said activists have shared photos of the dissections on social media in ways he believes mislead the public about the scientific purpose behind the work.
“It’s not fair to the graduate students that are behind the scenes doing the science, it’s not fair to the scientists who are donating their time, and mostly it’s just inaccurate,” Drymon said. “It’s a hallmark of fisheries science, taking samples from dead animals.”
Sharks around the world were heavily hunted through much of the 20th century, first for their skins and later, following the release of the film “Jaws” in the 1970s, as a target of growing recreational interest, according to the National Marine Fisheries Service. Shark fishing today is heavily regulated in the United States, though roughly a third of shark species worldwide remain threatened or endangered, according to the Save Our Seas network. Neither the bull shark nor the tiger shark is listed as endangered, though both are classified as “near threatened” due to worldwide population declines.
Drymon said he believes he and his critics share a genuine reverence for sharks, even if they disagree on methods. “I’m guilty [of revering sharks],” he said, pointing to a tattoo of sharks on his arm. “There’s been this change in people’s attitudes. If a shark is harvested, even though we’re talking about just a handful of individuals, that has become a very emotive issue.”
As of the rodeo’s conclusion Sunday night, the heaviest tiger shark weighed in was 739 pounds, and the heaviest bull shark weighed 478.6 pounds, according to the tournament’s leaderboard. Awards were handed out Monday evening.