Mayor of New Jersey beach town worries social media trend could lead to shark attack

With the end of summer rapidly approaching, people are getting in as much beach time as they can. But the mayor of a New Jersey beach town is worried a social media trend could be setting up a potential shark attack.

“It’s not illegal to fish here. It’s not illegal to fish for shark, but it is bringing in predators, they’re looking for food and there’s a lot of swimmers here,” Bay Head Mayor Bill Curtis said, explaining his unease about videos showing people attracting sharks toward shore so they can take photos with them.

In one viral video, a group of people is seen pulling an 8-foot-long bull shark onto the beach itself before snapping some photos.

Curtis worries the bait used to reel in these apex predators is taking them dangerously close to the beach and unsuspecting swimmers.

“Putting food in the water there for the fish to go after is just luring them closer to shore,” he said.

To catch sharks, some anglers paddle out to deeper waters, drop the bait and then pull in the sharks from reels on the beach. A CBS News crew went out on a boat with Captain John Schaible, who took them about 100 yards from shore. There, in 15-foot-deep water, is where many shark fishermen drop their bait.

“They are just having fun,” Schaible said of the people posting their encounters with the sharks on social media. “They’re not killing them. They’re maybe taking a couple pictures with them and letting them go.”

Schaible said he doesn’t think what they’re doing is dangerous, but the mayor disagrees.

“Common sense and consideration for everybody,” Curtis said. “Everybody can coexist, just be a little careful with what you are doing.”