It’s illegal in California to intentionally fish for great white sharks.
But on Saturday at Hermosa Beach Pier in Los Angeles County, five anglers reportedly hooked more than 20 juvenile white sharks, using mackerel as bait.
Hooked great white shark off Hermosa Beach.
According to the Easy Reader, the anglers said they believed they were hooking mako sharks, and that they cut the lines to free the sharks after reeling them to the surface. The sharks measured between 6 and 9 feet.
It is legal to fish for mako sharks, but they rarely venture into shallow coastal waters. Mako shark catches almost always occur on boats.
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Additionally, it’s fairly common knowledge that juvenile white sharks congregate in shallow coastal waters off Southern California to feed on stingrays and other fishes. Under ideal conditions, they’re easy to spot from a pier, making them tempting targets for fishermen.
Great white shark in wave off San Diego.
Harold Cohen, owner of a restaurant near the pier, told the Easy Reader that he observed the fishermen hooking and releasing five sharks in the span of an hour on Saturday.
It’s not clear if the California Department of Fish and Wildlife plans to investigate this potentially illegal shark-fishing spree.
But it states on the agency’s website: “It is NOT legal to fish for or catch white sharks, as they have been protected in California since January 1, 1994. White sharks in California are also protected by federal regulations and must be immediately released if caught accidentally.
“Under these protections, it is illegal to catch, pursue, hunt, capture or kill a white shark, which includes intentionally attracting white sharks with bait or other methods.”
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Fishermen hook more than 20 protected great white sharks from pier