Trophies for Sharks released at the side of the boat
From 2018 the SACGB have introduced another category of trophy which is, the Sharks Released at the side of the Boat category. This category has been added in recognition that an increasing number of anglers and skippers are choosing not to bring their sharks aboard.
These new trophies will also provide a trophy claim opportunity for anglers when the shark is simply too large to bring aboard the boat safely and when to do so would not be in the best interest of the shark’s welfare.
In these situations, the committee will consider video, photographic and any other forms of evidence. In many cases these sharks will be unmeasured and a comparison to an object of known size could be used. In others, estimated measurements may be possible, and this measuring process should be recorded.
The club are aware of several anglers and skippers who are trialing various methods of being able to get an estimated measurement of sharks when not brought aboard and will assist wherever possible to share these methods among the sharking community with a view to developing best practise.