Characterizing landing locations in the shore-based recreational shark fishery in Texas

Sharks are vital predators that keep the ocean ecosystems balanced; yet the potential impacts of improper handling during recreational shark fishing can increase their vulnerability. Successful conservation includes the education and implementation of proper handling practices, which are known to greatly influence the survival of sharks after release. However, factors associated with handling practices in the shore-based recreational fishery, such as landing locations along the surf-beach gradient, have not been well studied. Texas has one of the largest shore-based shark fisheries in the United States and catch-and-photo release tournaments like Texas Shark Rodeo (TSR), provide a unique opportunity to collect long-term data on sharks landed in this fishery. The purpose of this study was to characterize landing locations of sharks in the recreational fishery to help inform mortality after release. From photos submitted by TSR by participating anglers, landing locations, which may serve as a surrogate metric for air exposure time, were classified into three different categories based on the sharks’ gill position in relation to the waterline: (1) shark landed on dry sand (no water near the gills); (2) shark landed in the surf zone (gills might be somewhat aerated with wave action); and (3) shark landed mostly in the water (gills mostly underwater and aerated). A total of 8,697 landed shark photos were submitted to TSR from 2014-2021, of which 36.2% were landed on dry sand, 60.5% were in the surf zone, and 3.3% were landed with gills remaining mostly underwater. The relatively high percentage of sharks landed on dry sand may increase shark mortality after release. These findings have important implications for conservation-oriented organizations like TSR, that encourage the best catch-and-release practices to maximize shark survival and highlight the need for accurate mortality estimates based on landing location.