Stop killing Bull Sharks and Tiger Sharks for entertainment.

Every year, the Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo allows recreational anglers to compete to catch and kill Bull Sharks and Tiger Sharks.

These sharks are not being killed for food or because they are threatening people. They are killed as part of a competition where the largest dead shark wins.

We believe this practice has no place in modern ocean management.

Sharks are among the most important predators in marine ecosystems. They grow slowly, reproduce late, and play a crucial role in maintaining healthy oceans. Killing them for a trophy, a ranking, or entertainment adds unnecessary pressure on animals that are already facing major threats worldwide.

Scientific research and conservation do not require recreational shark-killing competitions. If researchers need samples, there are alternative ways to collect valuable data without creating a competition where sharks are intentionally killed.

Many fishing tournaments have already moved away from dead shark categories. It is time for the Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo to do the same.

We are calling on the Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo to:

• Remove Bull Shark and Tiger Shark kill categories permanently.
• Stop promoting the killing of sharks as a form of entertainment.

This petition is not an attack on fishermen or fishing communities. It is a call to reconsider a practice that is outdated and unnecessary in a time when our oceans are under unprecedented pressure.

Recent studies don't show that the local Bull and/or Tiger Shark population is back at historical levels and truly healthy.

• Yes, some shark populations are showing signs of recovery. That is not because there are "too many sharks", it is because decades of conservation measures and fishing regulations are finally allowing some populations to rebuild.
• The study often used to claim "Bull sharks are everywhere now" (Mullins et al., 2024, Scientific Reports - "Warming waters lead to increased habitat suitability for juvenile bull sharks (Carcharhinus leucas)") found an increase in juvenile Bull sharks in Mobile Bay, Alabama. It did NOT demonstrate that the entire Gulf of Mexico Bull shark population has returned to historical levels or that the species is overabundant.
• Another long-term study (Matich et al., 2026, Journal of Biogeography - "The Dynamic Nature of Nearshore Shark Nurseries in the Northern Gulf of Mexico") found evidence that some shark nursery habitats in the northern Gulf are recovering after historical declines. Recovery is the result of conservation working, not proof that sharks are no longer threatened.
• For Tiger sharks, there is currently NO peer-reviewed evidence showing that Gulf of Mexico populations are "booming" or that they have recovered to historical abundance.

A population increasing from a depleted state does not mean it is back to natural levels. Saying "sharks are slowly recovering" and saying "sharks have completely recovered" are two completely different statements. A species recovering from decades of overfishing is not the same as a species recovered. Confusing these two facts is exactly how we repeat the mistakes that caused the decline in the first place.

A shark's value should not be measured by its weight on a scale after it has been killed.

Sharks belong alive in the ocean, not hanging from a weigh-in station or under an American flag for entertainment.