INDIAN SHORES, Fla. — The town of Indian Shores banned shark fishing last month after a pregnant 10-foot tiger shark was found dead on the beach over the summer.

What You Need To Know

  • Police in Indian Shores say a pregnant 10-foot tiger shark was found dead on the beach over the summer

  • While is is legal to catch and release tiger sharks in Florida, leaders say the incident sparked a movement to ban shark fishing in the town

  • The shark fishing ban was passed on Sept. 13

  • Indian Shores officials say they believe the town is the first in Pinellas County to enact an outright ban on shark fishing

According to an incident report, the dead tiger shark was found on June 10 near the Barefoot Beach Resort. Earlier that same week, officials say another tiger shark was found dead on Indian Rocks Beach.

Indian Shores Police Department Maj. Glen Smith said that with the help of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), investigators were able to determine that the shark was pregnant at the time of its death.

“The FWC did a procedure on the shark and discovered that it had pups, viable pups inside of it,” he said. “Almost 40 baby sharks inside.”

Smith said he believed it was obvious that the Indian Shores tiger shark was killed due to fishing.

“It didn’t wash ashore. No, it was fresh,” he said. “It had been there a very short period of time.”

FWC investigators said they could not determine an official cause of death for the tiger shark because the agency does not have a diagnostic lab.

Biologists did note the shark’s stomach had been pulled inside out into its mouth — something that could have been caused by a fishing hook.

“It’s disturbing a little bit that anybody would do that and just leave it to lay there,” said Smith, who noted that tiger sharks are a “protected species on the list with the state and FWC.”

While it is legal to catch and release tiger sharks in Florida, it's against the law to kill one. Smith said Delray Beach in Palm Beach County had enacted a shark fishing ban, so local officials used it as a template.

“I went through my chief and we just discussed the possibility of an ordinance,” Smith said. “Proposed it in discussions with the town attorney to the council.”

On Sept. 13, the council unanimously passed a ban on shark fishing for all the town's beaches and the Narrows — which they believe is the first ban of its type in Pinellas County.

Smith said he believes the ban will help keep anglers from luring sharks into areas where people swim while also protecting the species.

“I’m happy with it. I think it’s appropriate,” he said. “We’ll apply it where it’s necessary.”

Smith is a Pinellas County native and said he is not against responsible shark fishing.

“I grew up shark fishing as a kid," he said. "I grew up fishing in tarpon tournaments on the coast here but never involved in a lot of kill tournaments. Never taught my kids to kill fish unnecessarily.”

According to Smith, FWC investigators said there was not enough evidence to determine if a law was broken in connection with the tiger shark's death.