October 7, 2020 — When weather permits, Capt. Rich Osburn sails a few days each week from the Fort Pierce Inlet to ply the waters of the Gulf Stream for his targeted catch.
As a commercial shark fisher, Osburn and his crew of one or two deckhands legally deploy six miles of longline in federal waters with about 500 baited hooks. The sharks they are permitted to harvest according to federal guidelines include:
- Blacktip
- Bull
- Lemon
- Silky
- Tiger
- Hammerhead
Osburn said he does not harvest any tigers or hammerheads because there is no value for their meat. They get turned loose. They also are among 26 species of sharks protected from harvest in Florida state waters.