Hmmm, if the last 4 years are an indicator, then off the English Riviera coastline it seems that there are more Tuna than sharks, and it has meant that our shark gear has had to be beefed a little up due to by-catches.
However, everybody is entitlied to their own opinion, but please don't ram it down my throat.
Most of the shark fishermen are seasoned in big fish anglers and understand how to handle them with care. On my boat NO sharks or Tuna are ever boated, they are allowed to carefully recover and released at the side of the boat. We generally fish for big porbeagles, and the first run from a big porgie or a medium sized BFT is quite similar to begin with, but soon becomes quite obvious exactly what specie has been hooked, and then the necessary action to bring the fight to the boat quickly is taken.
We don't target BFT, they seem to target our baits due to the high competition within the quite large shoals, and they dont seem listen when I politely ask them to go away ?