Community Corner
Monster Shark Tournament: Awesome or Awful?
New England's largest offshore sport fishing event returns for its 25th year to the delight of some and the disgust of others
This coming week, the Monster Shark Tournament will return to Oak Bluffs for its 25th year. The event runs from July 21 to 23, and is called the "preeminent sport fishing event in New England" by its creators, Boston Big Game Fishing Club.
Every summer, the tournament draws hundreds of participants and onlookers to Oak Bluffs and several State and IGFA All-Tackle World Records have been set in previous years.
Not all on the island are excited about this event. Five years ago, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA) and other local supporters tried to have the tournament banned. And while the attempt to ban the tournament failed, there are still many who feel the tournament is a blantant display of cruelty to animals.
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At the same time, there are those who see no harm in this once-a-year fishing tournament—especially one that draws such huge (if not rowdy) crowds to the island.
We want to hear from you: Is the Monster Shark Tournament an outdated, cruel and wasteful event? Or is it just good fun?
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