The Real Sport of Shark Hunting?
In “Sharks: In Search of the Big One” (Nov. 26), Richard Kleiner describes in minute detail the savage slaughter of a 6-foot mako shark.
A sleek, muscular model of 500 million years of evolution’s ultimate engineering, the shark is vital to the ecological integrity of the oceans. Most are normally timid and rarely attack man. More people die from bee stings.
But Kleiner is apparently still fighting the ‘80s Wimp Factor, describing the event as a dangerous mission. One of the macho crewmen likes to wrestle the shark mano a mano by towing it with a 4-inch steel hook, gaffing it aboard where it can be slashed open with a large knife after having its brains beaten out with a ball bat. A .22 rifle is handy just in case. Real sport.
As Kleiner explains, it’s an honorable deed because he promises to eat it.
He and the rest of his valiant bunch want to be macho James Bonds as long as the other guy can’t shoot straight and is wearing handcuffs.
MAURICE VAUGHN
Los Angeles
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