Beaches
Shark venture prompts county to limit surf fishing
Surf fishing on Georgetown County beaches will be prohibited during the daytime under a measure approved by County Council this week.
The move comes after complaints about a company in Myrtle Beach bringing people to the county to fish for sharks.
“They’re setting up in Garden City and pulling in sharks that are 5 to 6 feet,” Council Chairman Clint Elliott said. “Kids are scared to death to get in the water.”
Shark fishing is prohibited in Horry County and the city of Myrtle Beach.
Elliott spoke with the state Department of Natural Resources and was told that its jurisdiction didn’t start until farther offshore. The department said it needed to adopt an ordinance that the sheriff’s office beach patrol could enforce.
The amendment to the county beach ordinance would limit “bait or surf” fishing to 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. from May 1 to Sept. 30. That would also apply to the ocean within 100 yards of the beach and restrict fishing from boats and piers.
The ordinance currently prohibits baiting or fishing “in such a manner that will create an unsafe condition or hazard” for people in the water. The amendment expands that and bans commercial fishing “or fishing for shark or other dangerous species” on the beach or near-shore water.
The ordinance received the second of three required readings from the council. It will be up for final approval in July.
Elliott noted that the amendment isn’t an outright ban. “You can still fish at night, when people aren’t typically in the water,” he said.
Council Member Raymond Newton said his only concern was for Pawleys Pier. But that is in the town of Pawleys Island, which prohibits shark fishing within a mile of the beach from May through September.
Pawleys Island’s ordinance mirrors the current county ordinance in prohibiting fishing that creates “an unsafe condition.”
John Martin, president of the Litchfield Beaches Property Owners Association, said he hadn’t heard any complaints about fishing. “Most people do the surf fishing in the evening. They’re considerate,” he said.
