Shark Tournament to Make Splash in New Bedford This Weekend

Sport fishermen from around the region will converge upon New Bedford this weekend as the 30th annual North Atlantic Monster Shark Tournament gets underway.

Organizer Frank Papp says the tournament is an all around crowd pleaser. "Everyone's interested in sharks, seeing them up close and personal. And fishermen love fishing for sharks. And then the way we put the profits back into fishermen's rights and sustainable fisheries puts a cool twist on it, too," says Papp.

Papp says over 40 vessels will be fishing for the biggest mako, porbeagle, and thresher sharks throughout Buzzards Bay, with cash prizes being awarded for the best hauls.

Area residents are invited to see the sharks as they're brought in on Pier Three Friday and Saturday afternoon.

Once the sharks are brought in, experts dissect the fish while educating spectators. The meat is given back to the anglers while the carcass is donated to a local fertilizer company.