Went to Wilmington and Oak Island, NC

Oak Island to Get Anti-Fishing Message After Shark Bites Young Swimmers

For Immediate Release:
June 18, 2015

Contact:
Shakira Croce 202-483-7382

In response to news of two serious shark attacks on swimmers near fishing piers on Oak Island and reports that officials may consider a shark fishing ban in this area, PETA will be sending beachgoers a message on Friday through a flying banner that reads, “Keep Hookers off the Piers—No Fishing!” The banner will cruise up and down the coast for two hours:

Where:   The plane will depart from North Myrtle Beach Airport and make its way toward Oak Island, arriving                              at noon and starting at the south end. Call the pilot at 1-866-458-1268 for the plane’s real-time                                        whereabouts.

When:   Friday, June 19, 12–2 p.m.

“Dangling blood and bait in the water is like ringing a dinner bell for sharks, who rarely attack without provocation—and the consequences can be disastrous, as they were in these cases,” says PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk. “PETA’s banner will remind Oak Island–area beachgoers that fishing is dangerous not only for fish, turtles, birds and dolphins but also for swimmers and tourists visiting the beaches.”

When sharks are hooked, they naturally become agitated and may attack passing swimmers, which is what happened last summer in Manhattan Beach, California. Although the pier near the recent attack at Oak Island doesn’t allow shark fishing during the day, another pier 2 miles away from the second attack does permit shark fishing during open hours. Oak Island is currently considering a town-wide ban for the safety of swimmers. In addition, discarded fishing tackle often injures aquatic animals—and, of course, all fish suffer when they’re impaled by hooks, pulled from the water, and left to suffocate in the open air.

Photos of the banner in action will be available upon request Friday evening. For more information, please visit PETA.org.