By John W. Grandy
On July 21, the fishing boats will head out to sea for the Oak Bluffs Monster Shark Tournament on Martha’s Vineyard. The bloody spectacle will proceed despite vocal opposition from local residents and humane organizations. Since The Humane Society of the United States launched a campaign against the inhumane killing contest, thousands of people have asked the Oak Bluffs Board of Selectmen to cancel the hunt.
By targeting imperiled shark populations, mass shark hunting contests combine cruelty with environmental irresponsibility, all for the sake of a gruesome trophy picture and a prize, usually a handful of cash.
In June, selectman Roger Wey proposed bringing the issue before voters in a non-binding ballot question. Selectman Kerry Scott supported this effort. However, according to the Martha's Vineyard Times, selectmen Gregory Coogan and Duncan Ross voted against placing the question on the ballot and the status quo prevailed. The selectmen forfeited Oak Bluffs residents their say in the decision making process, and instead handed it over to the event's sponsor, the Boston Big Game Fishing Club.
The HSUS will gather to protest the cruel shark hunting contest. If you’re on Martha’s Vineyard during the tournament, visit The HSUS in Oak Bluffs' Post Office Square (indicated by the envelope on this map) and help us stop this unsporting spectacle from ever happening again.
John W. Grandy, Ph.D., is HSUS senior vice president for Wildlife and Habitat Protection.
Posted July 16, 2006
