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"Shark Week" May Be Over, But the Catch is Not!

Recent Eastchester High School graduate Paul Puccini and friend Austin Pounds went on Facebook to explain an activity that is not often talked about: shark fishing. After being targeted by a Long Beach Township, NJ resident earlier this week, Puccini took it upon himself to explain his long-time hobby on his personal Facebook account. Through the post, he aimed to educate and enlighten the pastime that has long been misunderstood and certainly not discussed enough.

PK: Paul, thank you for sitting down with me. To start, how did you come across this user’s post?

PP: I found out that she took screenshots of posts that were in a shark-catching group on Facebook. I got several messages from my friends that she had shared the photos along with her opinion about what we do.

PK: What would you say struck a chord with you the most about the user’s post?

PP: She was very brief about her opinion; but [as] I looked through her page, I saw that is a very big animal advocate [and a vegan]; she does her own thing. The funny thing is that I wouldn’t bash her or her lifestyle in any way.

PK: Prior to this, have you ever received backlash from others, whether it be tourists or locals, about shark catching?

PP: A couple [of times], yes. Sometimes during the day while we’re out fishing…we had a big crowd that formed around us that screamed “throw it back in!” or “keep it!” It’s a [very mixed] response, but most people don’t know that [the shark] back in the water within two to three minutes. Out of the over 200 sharks we’ve caught, we have never had a fatality.

PK: Given all the available education on sharks and other elasmobranch fish [fish without cartilage in their skeleton], what shocked you the most about the post?
        PP: What shocked me the most was that she was [aggressive about] her position without [stating] any facts. It’s like arguing something in the Constitution; you have to be prepared to come with the facts as to why [something] may not work.
        The sharks [as well as other elasmobranch fish] do not have nociceptors, which trigger immediate pain signals to the brain from noxious (harmful) stimuli. Without them, sharks do not feel the hooks in their skin.

PK: Have you spoken to the user who shared your photos?
         PP: No, I have not; she has neither accepted my friend request nor the requests from my friends on Facebook…so we cannot message her or talk to her through that. I would like to have a civil conversation with her though.

In his natural habitat: Paul Puccini in action at the Shore 

PK: If (and when) you did, what would you say to her?      
       PP: [My friends and I] would probably ask if she read [my] whole post; we would educate about shark fishing and [how] we do it. We would allow her to state her opinion and ask any questions she may have [regarding the matter]. I’m sure she has some, but she does not want to address them.

PK: What do you have to say about anyone who may have a misconception about shark fishing?
        PP: What would I like to say to them? [Well], they think that we don’t respect the fish, and we do. We throw them back into the water [and they] go on with their lives. Tag-and-release is a sport, so educate people on it more would be something I intend to do.
        AP: If you [fish for sharks], you have to know the risks; you put your life [and body] on the line. That being said, you also know must know how to treat the shark humanely. You put your body in harm’s way when you catch sharks [or any other large species of fish].
        PP: More than 50 percent of the sharks we catch [aren’t even pictured] because of the limited window of time to catch and release.
        AP: When you take them out of the water, they’re coming from depths of anywhere from 20 to 100 feet underwater. They’re cruising on the bottom, eating and swimming. It’s like going in a pool; your ears start to pop and your body responds to the surrounding environment. It’s the same thing for sharks; they’re not happy when they rise up in the water.
        Since j-hooks are banned due to the high fatality rate while using them, we have to use specific hooks to catch and tag them.
       PP: On multiple occasions, we’ve even found hooks in the sharks, which is extremely dangerous.

PK: Any final thoughts?
      PP: People think that we are doing this just for fun; but we actually tag for the government via the NOAA (National Oceanic Atmospheric Association). We started doing this after we contacted them and they approved of us; afterward, they sent us tags to document each shark we catch. This includes height, species, and color.
      While we work with the government to tag the sharks, there is also a great risk to what we do. You are going to get bitten and have to deal with being uncomfortable while out in the water with the sharks.

PK: Thank you!