LI shark tournaments draw protesters, fishermen

[Ghost in the Machine]

LI shark tournaments draw protesters, fishermen
Published: 6/12/08, 12:48 PM EDT
By FRANK ELTMAN

GARDEN CITY, N.Y. (AP) - More than 100 miles east of Manhattan, out past the Hamptons, sits a tiny village where thousands converge at the docks on summer evenings to ogle at and revere the massive creatures brought back from the sea.

Montauk remains an epicenter for shark fishing tournaments, a half-century after legendary shark hunter Frank Mundus practically invented the sport and became the inspiration for the Captain Quint character in the movie "Jaws."

Despite protests from animal advocacy groups that decry the events as inhumane, the tournaments are thriving. For the first time, this weekend's Star Island Yacht Club tournament boasts $1 million in prizes. And Mundus, who retired to Hawaii nearly two decades ago, promises to attend the event, signing his books and selling souvenirs.

But protesters will also be there, along with airplanes flying overhead with anti-shark fishing banners trailing behind. Similar complaints echo at shark tournaments around the country.

William Crain of the East Hampton Group for the Wildlife denounces what he calls "glorifying the killing of sharks. ... I don't like to see any animal abused or suffer needlessly. There is no reason to kill sharks."
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