Have any idea how far away a bull shark can pick up a blood trail?

Believe it or not, it’s one mile. That’s right, 5,280 feet.

And that is one of the reasons there has been a change in the way anglers in Alabama can fish for sharks.

After tweaking the language in the regulation to ensure safe fishing practices would not be hindered, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ Marine Resources Division recently enacted a regulation to prohibit chumming or bloodbaiting for sharks in certain areas.

The regulation reads:

“It shall be unlawful within three hundred feet of the shoreline, or on a public pier, or on a private pier where an unsafe condition is created, on or in waters of Alabama under the jurisdiction of the Marine Resources Division as provided by Rule 220-2-.42, to fish for or target sharks or any species by those methods commonly known as ‘chumming’ or ‘bloodbaiting.’

“For purposes of this regulation, ‘chumming’ shall be defined as the throwing of bait or fish parts into the water to attract fish.

“For purposes of this regulation, ‘bloodbaiting’ shall be defined as the use of blood, chemical or synthetic attractants, fish parts, chicken parts or other animal parts to attract fish or sharks.

“It shall be unlawful, on or adjacent to the waters of Alabama under the jurisdiction of the Marine Resources Division as provided by Rule 220-2-.42, for any person to surf fish for sharks, bow fish for sharks, or fish for or target sharks by any other means from any pier or beach in such a manner that presents an unsafe condition to any beach goers, sun bathers, swimmers, or any other person.”

“The regulation itself was requested by the town of Orange Beach because of concern for tourists coming to the beach,” said Vernon Minton, Director of Marine Resources.

“It was a situation that other coastal towns were dealing with and they didn’t know what to do.”

Minton said he and members of his staff sat down to try to draft regulation to address the potential for human interaction with sharks that had been baited into an area with blood bait or chum.

Minton also cautions beach goers to be aware of another species that can cause a painful injury.

Note: David Rainer is a guest columnist for The Clanton Advertiser. His column appears on Tuesdays.