skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Saturday, December 21, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Government shutdown looms after Trump-backed bill fails; Environmental groups sue CA Air Resources Board over biogas credits; NY elected officials work to electrify municipal buildings; Need a mental health boost? Talking hot dog is here.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

President-elect Trump repeats his threats to jail Jan. 6th committee members, while also putting a stop-gap spending plan in jeopardy. A court removes Fani Willis from Trump's Georgia election interference case. The FAA restricts drones in New Jersey, and a Federal Reserve rate cut shakes markets.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Rural folks could soon be shut out of loans for natural disasters if Project 2025 has its way, Taos, New Mexico weighs options for its housing shortage, and the top states providing America's Christmas trees revealed.

MS anglers demand action as shark depredation challenges rise

play audio
Play

Wednesday, August 14, 2024   

Along the Gulf Coast, Mississippi anglers are concerned about sharks stealing their catch, or what's known as shark depredation.

The resurgence of shark populations is affecting fishing across the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic coast.

Marcus Drymon, associate extension professor at Mississippi State University and marine fisheries specialist for the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium, said the issue has become critical in the Magnolia State, where people report sharks biting hooked fish before the angler can even retrieve them.

"In Mississippi, anglers are experiencing increased frustration with reports that depredation had been increasing over the past several years," Drymon noted. "Depredation affects charter fishermen, it affects private recreational fishermen, and it affects commercial fishermen."

Drymon pointed out they are exploring new technologies and fishing methods to prevent sharks from interfering with fishing activities. Sport fishing is a big part of the Mississippi economy, with $386 million in sales and related activity, and it supports more than 3,800 jobs, according to an American Sportfishing Association report.

Chris Macaluso, director of the Center for Marine Fisheries for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, said the increase in depredation is due to shark conservation efforts in the past few decades. Legislation, known as the SHARKED Act, passed the U.S. House earlier this year and is making its way to a Senate committee. It aims to guide future actions based on science.

"Very simply, what it would do is create a scientific panel," Macaluso explained. "It would ramp up the amount of scientific knowledge and the sharing of knowledge and the gathering of scientific data when it comes to shark populations, to see if there are some management changes that could take place that would reduce these negative encounters with sharks."

Macaluso emphasized the importance of maintaining healthy fish populations, and acknowledged the difficulty in reducing shark interactions with fishermen. He suggested more federal funding, enhancing coordination between state and federal fisheries managers and educating recreational fishermen on how to avoid shark encounters all could help alleviate the issue.

Disclosure: The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership contributes to our fund for reporting on Climate Change/Air Quality, Endangered Species and Wildlife, Environment, and Public Lands/Wilderness. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
A survey from the American Heart Association revealed 79% of respondents neglect their health during the holidays. Many say they find this time of year more stressful than income tax season.
(deagreez/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Holiday travel is in full swing and for many, so is the stress. The American Heart Association of Missouri has health tips for anyone with heart …


Health and Wellness

play sound

By Amy Felegy for Arts Midwest.Broadcast version by Mike Moen for Minnesota News Connection reporting for the Arts Midwest-Public News Service Collabo…

Health and Wellness

play sound

With Christmas less than a week away, experts are giving advice on how seniors and the community can fight against social isolation. A United Health …


A new University of Miami study has found buildings in Sunny Isles Beach and Surfside have been sinking by 2-8 centimeters between 2016 and 2023. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

When the Champlain Towers South collapsed in Surfside in 2021 taking 98 lives, it sent shock waves across South Florida. The tragedy has left …

Environment

play sound

Rural communities across Massachusetts are benefiting from state grants aimed at strengthening the local food supply and building climate resilience…

Dairy digesters remove methane from liquified animal waste. The gas can then be used to generate power. (Lance Cheung/USDA)

Environment

play sound

Three environmental nonprofits filed suit Wednesday against the California Air Resources Board to oppose the expansion of a program allowing oil and g…

Environment

play sound

New York lawmakers are focusing on electrifying municipal buildings. Buildings statewide make up 32% of New York's greenhouse gas emissions and …

Social Issues

play sound

North Dakota is expected to rejoin the debate over whether all school children, regardless of their family income, should have access to no-cost …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021