Isle of Palms considering restrictions on shore-based shark fishing
The discussion comes after an Isle of Palms resident raised safety concerns about a commercial shark fishing business operating from the beach near their home.
'If you're attracting larger sharks from offshore, bringing them in where it's a threat possibly to swimmers and surfers, I think that's something we definitely ought to look at,' Councilman Rusty Streetman said during a Public Safety Committee meeting last month.
Current city law prohibits commercial activity on the beach, but nothing in the code specifically stops someone from recreationally fishing for sharks or other species in the surf, according to Isle of Palms Police Chief Kevin Cornett.
As shore-based shark fishing becomes increasingly popular along the coast, city councilmembers are now looking at ways to curb the potentially dangerous activity.
'Shark fishing has a long and checkered history off the South Carolina coast,' Councilman Blair Hahn wrote in a June 9 message to News 2. 'It has been made in Horry County and many coastal communities for decades. For multiple reasons, the IOP never addressed this practice…I believe the time has come to do so.'
The practice involves releasing chum into the water from a structure like a pier to attract sharks closer to the shore, sometimes with the help of drones or kayaks. Anglers then use heavy rods and other specialized gear to reel them in.
'We currently have multiple individuals that set up between 47th and 50th Avenue, paddle ten-pound-plus hunks of meat 200 yards offshore and set large steel J hooks,' Hahn said.
He explained that an underwater ridge about one mile offshore, called the 'bump,' has become a hotspot for sharks and other large fish such as tarpons that feed on shrimp, noting that tiger sharks, bull sharks, and even Great Whites have been tracked in the area.
'Bringing these predators to shore, especially after making them angry and hungry, is an exceptionally bad idea,' Hahn said. 'I have watched individuals drag shark through surf, past multiple individuals swimming in the ocean on multiple occasions. Shark bites are bad on many levels. Obviously, shark bites create life-threatening injuries. In addition, shark bites tax our EMS services and have a chilling effect on tourism.'
These techniques not only increase the likelihood of an unwanted interaction between sharks and swimmers, but the use of larger fishing gear also presents safety risks to those enjoying other activities on the water.
'The last thing we want is a kid to get stuck on a hook, and depending on what they're fishing for, could dictate how big that hook is,' Chief Cornett said during a June 3 committee meeting.
The proposed restrictions would be modeled after ordinances and guidelines already in place in other parts of the state, including Seabrook Island and Horry County, according to officials.
Southern Shrimp Alliance study reveals a majority of Charleston-area restaurants serve imported shrimp
While the specifics are being worked out, the ordinance would generally prohibit someone from intentionally fishing for sharks and require that they be immediately released if caught – an extension of a state law that already mandates catch-and-release for certain species.
Chumming with raw meat or fish parts, excluding poultry products, within a certain distance of the beach and using certain equipment like drones and trot lines would also be prohibited.
'You're not going to take feed, dead fish, and others and put it in the water,' said Councilman John Bogosian, who chairs the Public Safety Committee. 'That's specifically attracting sharks, and that activity shouldn't be legal.'
Still, Bogosian questioned how the rules would be enforced given that recreational fishermen do not usually know what they will catch when casting a line.
'If you put it in there that fishing for shark is illegal, to me it's unenforceable unless someone says, 'Yeah, I'm fishing for shark,'' he said.
Cornett acknowledged that enforcing a shark fishing ban would be challenging overall, but certain acts like chumming would be 'easy to verify.'
The issue is expected to go back before the committee in July for further discussion.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
2 days ago
Los Angeles County seeks ordinance preventing law enforcement from concealing their identities
LOS ANGELES -- Los Angeles County leaders want to prohibit law enforcement officers from concealing their identities while on duty, a response to recent immigration raids during which some federal agents refused to identify themselves or covered their faces. The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted 4—0, with one abstention, to direct county counsel to draft an ordinance that bars officers, including federal agents, from wearing masks, with limited exceptions such as for medical protection or during undercover operations. Officers would also be required to visibly display identification and agency affiliation while out in public. Since early June, immigration agents have swarmed Southern California, arresting hundreds of people and prompting protests against the federal raids and the subsequent deployment of the National Guard and Marines. About half the Guard troops and all the Marines were pulled out of LA in recent weeks. Supervisor Janice Hahn, who co-authored the motion, said the raids carried out by the Trump administration have sparked fear and residents have a right to know who is stopping, questioning or detaining them. 'Across the county, people are being pulled out of their cars, beaten, and ripped from their families by men in tactical gear with balaclavas, no badges, and no names," Hahn said. 'That's not how law enforcement in a democracy should operate.' Hahn conceded that it is unclear if the county will be able to enforce the law when it comes to actions by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal agencies. 'Ultimately, it might have to be decided by a court,' she said. Legal scholar Erwin Chemerinsky said Tuesday that a court could have to decide if the ordinance is interfering with the ability of officers to carry out their duties. 'They key is that it has to apply to all law enforcement. It can't just apply to federal law enforcement,' said Chemerinsky, dean of the law school at the University of California, Berkeley. Administration officials have defended the practice of officers wearing masks, saying immigration agents have faced harassment as they have gone about their enforcement. Officials said agents are hiding their identities for their safety to avoid things like death threats and doxing, where someone's personal information is released without their permission on the internet. 'I'm sorry if people are offended by them wearing masks, but I'm not going to let my officers and agents go out there and put their lives on the line, their family on the line because people don't like what immigration enforcement is,' ICE acting director Todd Lyons said last month. In the state legislature, a pending measure would ban local, state, and federal police from covering their faces while conducting operations in California. And a similar bill has been introduced into the U.S. Congress by Democratic senators Alex Padilla, of California, and Cory Booker, of New Jersey. Chemerinsky said the advantage of federal legislation is that it would 'clearly be constitutional' because Congress has the power to regulate how federal law enforcement operates. County counsel has 60 days to submit the draft ordinance to the board for approval. Supervisor Hilda Solis, the measure's other co-author, said local officials must set expectations about how law enforcement should conduct themselves while in the county. 'The use of masks, tactical gear, and refusal to show identification is not only alarming and confusing, but erodes public trust and raises serious safety concerns,' Solis said.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Los Angeles County seeks ordinance preventing law enforcement from concealing their identities
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles County leaders want to prohibit law enforcement officers from concealing their identities while on duty, a response to recent immigration raids during which some federal agents refused to identify themselves or covered their faces. The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted 4—0, with one abstention, to direct county counsel to draft an ordinance that bars officers, including federal agents, from wearing masks, with limited exceptions such as for medical protection or during undercover operations. Officers would also be required to visibly display identification and agency affiliation while out in public. Since early June, immigration agents have swarmed Southern California, arresting hundreds of people and prompting protests against the federal raids and the subsequent deployment of the National Guard and Marines. About half the Guard troops and all the Marines were pulled out of LA in recent weeks. Supervisor Janice Hahn, who co-authored the motion, said the raids carried out by the Trump administration have sparked fear and residents have a right to know who is stopping, questioning or detaining them. 'Across the county, people are being pulled out of their cars, beaten, and ripped from their families by men in tactical gear with balaclavas, no badges, and no names," Hahn said. 'That's not how law enforcement in a democracy should operate.' Hahn conceded that it is unclear if the county will be able to enforce the law when it comes to actions by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal agencies. 'Ultimately, it might have to be decided by a court,' she said. Legal scholar Erwin Chemerinsky said Tuesday that a court could have to decide if the ordinance is interfering with the ability of officers to carry out their duties. 'They key is that it has to apply to all law enforcement. It can't just apply to federal law enforcement,' said Chemerinsky, dean of the law school at the University of California, Berkeley. Administration officials have defended the practice of officers wearing masks, saying immigration agents have faced harassment as they have gone about their enforcement. Officials said agents are hiding their identities for their safety to avoid things like death threats and doxing, where someone's personal information is released without their permission on the internet. 'I'm sorry if people are offended by them wearing masks, but I'm not going to let my officers and agents go out there and put their lives on the line, their family on the line because people don't like what immigration enforcement is,' ICE acting director Todd Lyons said last month. In the state legislature, a pending measure would ban local, state, and federal police from covering their faces while conducting operations in California. And a similar bill has been introduced into the U.S. Congress by Democratic senators Alex Padilla, of California, and Cory Booker, of New Jersey. Chemerinsky said the advantage of federal legislation is that it would 'clearly be constitutional' because Congress has the power to regulate how federal law enforcement operates. County counsel has 60 days to submit the draft ordinance to the board for approval. Supervisor Hilda Solis, the measure's other co-author, said local officials must set expectations about how law enforcement should conduct themselves while in the county. 'The use of masks, tactical gear, and refusal to show identification is not only alarming and confusing, but erodes public trust and raises serious safety concerns,' Solis said. Solve the daily Crossword
San Francisco Chronicle
2 days ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Los Angeles County seeks ordinance preventing law enforcement from concealing their identities
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles County leaders want to prohibit law enforcement officers from concealing their identities while on duty, a response to recent immigration raids during which some federal agents refused to identify themselves or covered their faces. The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted 4—0, with one abstention, to direct county counsel to draft an ordinance that bars officers, including federal agents, from wearing masks, with limited exceptions such as for medical protection or during undercover operations. Officers would also be required to visibly display identification and agency affiliation while out in public. Since early June, immigration agents have swarmed Southern California, arresting hundreds of people and prompting protests against the federal raids and the subsequent deployment of the National Guard and Marines. About half the Guard troops and all the Marines were pulled out of LA in recent weeks. Supervisor Janice Hahn, who co-authored the motion, said the raids carried out by the Trump administration have sparked fear and residents have a right to know who is stopping, questioning or detaining them. 'Across the county, people are being pulled out of their cars, beaten, and ripped from their families by men in tactical gear with balaclavas, no badges, and no names," Hahn said. 'That's not how law enforcement in a democracy should operate.' Hahn conceded that it is unclear if the county will be able to enforce the law when it comes to actions by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal agencies. 'Ultimately, it might have to be decided by a court,' she said. Legal scholar Erwin Chemerinsky said Tuesday that a court could have to decide if the ordinance is interfering with the ability of officers to carry out their duties. 'They key is that it has to apply to all law enforcement. It can't just apply to federal law enforcement,' said Chemerinsky, dean of the law school at the University of California, Berkeley. Administration officials have defended the practice of officers wearing masks, saying immigration agents have faced harassment as they have gone about their enforcement. Officials said agents are hiding their identities for their safety to avoid things like death threats and doxing, where someone's personal information is released without their permission on the internet. 'I'm sorry if people are offended by them wearing masks, but I'm not going to let my officers and agents go out there and put their lives on the line, their family on the line because people don't like what immigration enforcement is,' ICE acting director Todd Lyons said last month. In the state legislature, a pending measure would ban local, state, and federal police from covering their faces while conducting operations in California. And a similar bill has been introduced into the U.S. Congress by Democratic senators Alex Padilla, of California, and Cory Booker, of New Jersey. Chemerinsky said the advantage of federal legislation is that it would 'clearly be constitutional' because Congress has the power to regulate how federal law enforcement operates. Supervisor Hilda Solis, the measure's other co-author, said local officials must set expectations about how law enforcement should conduct themselves while in the county. 'The use of masks, tactical gear, and refusal to show identification is not only alarming and confusing, but erodes public trust and raises serious safety concerns,' Solis said.
