What Happens When Hookers Are Allowed on the Pier?

After an angler who was fishing off the pier on California’s Manhattan Beach let a great white shark struggle on his hook for more than 30 minutes, the struggling shark bit a passing swimmer who got too close. The Manhattan Beach City Council quickly suspended fishing off the pier for 60 days, but a temporary suspension isn’t going to stop something similar from happening again.

So, as the council met today to discuss a permanent fishing ban, a PETA banner was flying overhead to encourage it:

Our plane canvassed the coastline all afternoon, making the point that fishing endangers swimmers, not only with the hooks themselves but also by provoking shark attacks. Sharks, who rarely attack without provocation, can be attracted by blood and bait, and hooked sharks become agitated. Discarded fishing tackle also injures sea animals. And of course, all fish suffer when they’re impaled, pulled from the water, and left to suffocate in the open air.

Friends don’t let friends become hookers. Help save lives by speaking out against hooking today. And if you live in a coastal community, urge your city council to ban fishing from piers.