Stop! Thief! Sharks taking larger bite of Hawaii fishermen’s catch

Stop! Thief! Sharks taking larger bite of Hawaii fishermen’s catch

In recent years, local small-boat fishers who pursue prized bottomfish such as ehu, onaga and the red opakapaka that’s popular on table spreads across Hawaii each New Year’s have seen a troubling spike in sharks that swoop in and tear their catch off the hook. “They’re basically losing money because they can’t bring in the fish,” said Phil Fernandez, president of the advocacy group Hawaii Fishermen’s Alliance for Conservation and Tradition. “The…