What? Let A White Shark Go?

Hard to imagine, but white sharks, the fearsome nemesis of Peter Benchley's fictional seaside town of Amity, may be made subject to the catch-and-release rules of sportfishing, and hunted only by participating in a Federal tagging program.

Just how one is supposed to release Carcharodon carcharias is not discussed in the no-kill policy being contemplated by the National Marine Fisheries Service.

However, it will be against the law for anyone to play out the bloody ending of "Jaws" if the Federal Government succeeds in its effort to reduce what it considers to be the "indiscriminate killing" of certain shark species off the Atlantic Coast.

No Longer A Target

Whites would no longer be among the targeted species during shark tournaments. Neither could the creatures be targeted by commercial fishermen.

While whites are now caught incidentally by licensed longline fishermen in pursuit of other sharks, the Fisheries Service has expressed concern that a fishery directed at whites could develop.

With a ban on white-shark fishing, an era that effectively ended in 1990, when Frank Mundus of Montauk retired from a renowned 40-year shark-fishing career, would be brought to a formal conclusion. Not many were brought ashore during those four decades, but not many had to be.

Monster Mash

The ones that were - a 4,500-pound monster in 1964, several 1,000-pounders in the early '70s, and a 3,450-pounder in 1986, created a fearsome reputation for Captain Mundus and inspired Mr. Benchley to write "Jaws."

In the book, Amity stands in for Montauk as a place to the east of East Hampton and Amagansett. Amity was an island in the movie.

Captain Mundus pioneered the white shark fishery after discovering that the big predators could be found stalking pods of pilot whales and schools of tuna, much like lions dog herds of antelope to prey on the young and infirm.

In the early 1970s, before it became illegal to hunt whales, the fisherman used what he called "monster mash" - chum made of pilot whale - to lure the sharks. After the whaling ban, he occasionally used basking shark, which also has an oily flesh.

Put The Blame On "Jaws"

Before he retired and moved to Hawaii, the Montauk Monster Man bemoaned the gathering popularity of the shark fishery. He blamed "Jaws" for spiraling it out of control.

The Federal Government's proposed rule would also put basking sharks and whale sharks off limits. The latter two species are considered especially vulnerable because they swim at or near the surface of the water.

The Fisheries Service is also recommending that recreational bag limits be reduced for "large coastal," "small coastal," and pelagic species of sharks. If approved, the law would dramatically reduce the number of sharks allowed sport fishermen.

Quota Is Too High

The proposed bag limit is two sharks per vessel, per trip, for any combination of species. The law now allows five small coastal sharks per person, and four per trip for large coastal and pelagic species.

White sharks are a large coastal species, as are whale and basking sharks. All three would be removed from the list of large coastal species and placed on a list of prohibited ones.

Recent studies have determined that the quota for large coastal sharks is too big, and should be reduced by at least 50 percent.

Studies completed last year have determined that shark fisheries, both commercial and recreational, are over-capitalized, and that fishing pressure does not square with the slow reproductive cycles of sharks.

Ovoviviporous

Sibling cannibalism slows the survival rate in some species, the sand tiger shark and the white shark included. Both are ovoviviporous; that is, they produce eggs with enclosing membranes that hatch within the mother, so that the young are born alive. But the young do battle before birth, and only the strong survive to enter the world.

The blue shark, a popular sport fish, is now listed as a pelagic species. It would benefit, managers say, from a special "precautionary" quota. Fishery managers are seeking to prevent the filleting of sharks at sea. In order to verify species, fishermen would be required to land sharks "in the round."

The Government will accept comments on the proposed changes until Jan. 21. Letters should be directed to William Hogarth, Chief, Highly Migratory Species Division, N.M.F.S., 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, Md. 20910.

Bluefin Tuna Limited

Information about the Federal shark tagging program can be obtained by writing the APEX Predator Investigation Cooperative Shark Tagging Program, 28 Tarzwell Drive, Narragansett, R.I. 02882.

Sharks are not the only fish that may benefit from quota reductions. The Fisheries Service announced last week that anglers fishing for bluefin tuna of the school, large school, or "small-medium" size classes, will be limited to a total of one per vessel per day as of 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, New Year's Day. The rule will stay in effect until the 1997 quotas are announced.

The measure is an effort to extend the fishing season for bluefin of these sizes. It is a response to heavy catches off the Carolinas last winter that caused the coastwide quota to be closed prematurely.