Debate grows over shark fishing concerns on Marco Island

MARCO ISLAND, Fla. —

Could nighttime shark fishing soon face new rules on Marco Island?

That’s where this beach debate is headed after city leaders said large nighttime crowds and bright lights from people gathered to watch shark fishing are raising concerns just weeks before sea turtle nesting season begins.

At Marco Island's City Council meeting Monday, council member Bonita Schwan said they received hundreds of emails from residents worried about what’s happening on the beach after dark.

“Over 200 emails have come in to us at council, and they were so greatly concerned about the activities going on at the beach,” Councilor Bonita Schwan said.

According to Schwan, the issue is no longer just about shark fishing itself. She says one of the biggest concerns is the crowds gathering at night to watch sharks being reeled in, along with the lights, noise, and activity that come with it.

With sea turtle nesting season beginning May 1, she's worried about those nighttime gatherings creating problems for nesting turtles and hatchlings.

Now, the city attorney has been asked to come back with possible ordinance recommendations, including potential nighttime restrictions, before the issue returns to council on April 20.

Still, fishermen say they’re fighting to protect a long-standing Marco Island tradition.

For local shark fisherman David Boggs, the debate goes far beyond fishing.

“You make memories with people that lasts a lifetime,” Boggs said.

Boggs recently started a petition that is now pushing toward 4,000 signatures in support of protecting shark fishing on Marco Island beaches.

He says there is already strict state oversight through the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

“You have to take a test online. You have to have a certificate,” Boggs said. "The truth is, since, in the last 150 years, there's only been eight shark encounters in all of Collier County. It simply just doesn't happen."

Boggs argues that shark fishing has safely coexisted with swimmers for years and says the activity is being unfairly targeted.

“And so when people come to you, especially our local city government, and says, hey, we're going to take this away from you, not because it's a safety issue, not because there's problems, but because they simply don't like it... That's government overreach,” he said.

But not everyone on the beach agrees.

Some visitors say they understand why city leaders are getting complaints.

“Anything that draws sharks near to the beach where the kids are is probably not the best idea,” said Kerrie Taylor, vacationing on Marco with her daughters.

For now, council members have made it clear that they don't support an outright ban.

Instead, the focus appears to be on whether some type of nighttime regulation may be needed during turtle nesting season.

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