Boca finds Trouble Following in Delray's Footsteps to Ban Shark Fishing

In 2009 Delray Beach's city commission was able to pass an ordinance that banned shark fishing from it's beaches. The decision was brought on by safety complaints from residents as well as conservationists who argued that sharks do not do well as "hook and line" fish. 

While Delray may have been successful in their attempt to pass the ordinance, Boca Raton, however, was not. The city ran into multiple problems when fishermen argued that their right to fish is embedded in the Florida Constitution; a fact not brought up in the Delray case.

While the decision to ban shark fishing from Boca's beaches has yet to come up since addressed by the Marine Advisory Board in February there can still be cement blocks attached to liter line found on the beaches of Delray (a sure sign that people are still shark fishing).

A dead, pregnant Hammerhead shark washes up on Delray Beach last summer with a hook and line in it's mouth