Sharks are taking a bigger bite of fishermen's catch in Hawaii: "Paying the tax man"

In recent years, local small-boat fishers who pursue prized bottomfish such as ehu, onaga and the red opakapaka that's popular on table spreads across Hawaii each New Year's have seen a troubling spike in sharks that swoop in and tear their catch off the hook. In:

In recent years, local small-boat fishers who pursue prized bottomfish such as ehu, onaga and the red opakapaka that's popular on table spreads across Hawaii each New Year's have seen a troubling spike in sharks that swoop in and tear their catch off the hook.

"They're basically losing money because they can't bring in the fish," said PhilFernandez, president of the advocacy group Hawaii Fishermen's Alliance for Conservation and Tradition. "The fish markets won't buy a fish that has a bite on it."

The growing incidents, known as shark depredation, have grown so common in Hawaii's coastal waters and other parts of the Pacific, he said, that many of those bottomfishers, trollers and others who rely on the catch for their livelihood are on the verge of giving up the trade.

Some fishers call such depredation "paying the tax man," and the tax is growing. Reports indicate sharks now bite off catch in at least 1 of every 4 licensed fishing trips out on Hawaiian waters. The rates are currently at their highest on record in the 20 or so years the state has been collecting that data, aquatic biologist Bryan Ishida said.

Various shark repellents that exploit the animals' aversion to certain chemicals, electric charges and magnetic fields are already for sale and used by ocean swimmers and fishers in other regions, such as Florida, where recreational fishing is a big draw.