Bite Victim Helping To Protect Sharks

September 16, 2009

Release from: Saul Saenz
Central Florida News 13

VOLUSIA COUNTY - Sharks in New Smyrna Beach are getting help from an unlikely source -- a shark bite victim.

Debbie Salamone has a close relationship with sharks.

She came face-to-face with one in 2004 at Cape Canaveral National Seashore when swimming on the beach.

"And all of a sudden, grabbed me by the foot," Salamone said.

The bite was so bad, Salamone needed surgery and months of therapy. Now she sees sharks differently.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission agrees with Salamone and wants to increase rules already in place to protect several species of sharks from humans.

They include a two-fish per vessel daily bag on recreational and commercial harvesters called finning, a practice of harvesting sharks for their fins.

Enhanced rules would also establish a 54-inch fork length limit for most sharks so the ocean predator can reach maturity before captured in open waters.

Also, only hook and line gear would be allowed to harvest sharks. The rules would prohibit the removal of shark heads and tails at sea.

New Smyrna Beach is recognized as the Shark Bite Capitol of the World. Most of those bites have come from sand sharks -- one of the species FWC wants to protect.

Not all surfers who see sharks on a daily basis agree with Salamone and FWC officials.

"There’s more than enough sharks that don't need protecting out here,” said John Gordon, a surfer. “But for other people that aren’t living around here, some place where there are no sharks, maybe they import them and take them out of here."

Those enhanced rules would apply to coastal waters from Florida to Maine.

A final public hearing on the proposed enhanced shark rules is scheduled to be held December in Clewiston.

Other species of sharks may be added to the list of species FWC wants to protect from humans.