Letter: Do not outlaw fishing from beach

A recent proposal before the Hilton Head Island Town Council to ban fishing from the beach because it may attract sharks is misguided on a technical, cultural and legal basis.

South Carolina has a long history of allowing its citizens unfettered access to all of its maritime waters and shores up to the mean high water line. This area belongs to the state, and all of its residents and the protection of it and its saltwater wildlife are in the hands of the experts -- the S.C. Department of Natural Resources. This was an important law, because it allowed for the consistent statewide management of our saltwater ecosystems and did not allow access exclusions based on one's economic status.

The concept that fishing for sharks attracts sharks will certainly give hope to all the amateur fishermen, but the experienced fishermen know that there is a tremendous amount of competition for any of our meager bait offerings.

If the town wants to do something important, it should make sure everyone fishing from the beach has a saltwater fishing license so that the fisherman is contributing to the enhancement and protection of the fishery. An online, 14-day license is available for $5, but if SCDNR law enforcement cites them, the fines start at $160.

Having been involved in the local fishing community for 40 years, I know that one of our problems is that we do not have enough access for those fishermen who do not have boats.

David Harter

This story was originally published January 16, 2016 at 10:15 PM with the headline "Letter: Do not outlaw fishing from beach."