Outer Banks, NC - Fishermen in the Outer Banks are reeling in fish after fish this summer.
Most of those fish are bitten in half by sharks.
"It's really heart wrenching when you catch a $1,000 fish, and you can't get it to the boat. It's nothing but a chunk of mangled up meat," fisherman Glen Hopkins told NewsChannel 3.
It's been a problem for off-shore fisherman for weeks.
"At least 2/3 of your catch is going to be eaten before it ever gets to the boat. The sharks have gotten to the point where they are just following the boat," another fisherman, Britton Shackelford said.
Lately in the Outer Banks, sharks are all people are talking about.
In the last week, there have been three attacks.
Plus, videos of sharks in the Outer Banks have been popping up online.
Shackelford told News Channel 3, he sometimes sees thousands of sharks when he fishes.
The fishermen say strict shark fishing laws that went into effect years ago are part of the problem. Now, the sharks are overpopulated.
All those sharks are now the fishermen's competition.
"Some sets we don't get a fish back. We might catch 25 or 30 heads. Pieces where everything is gone. It's literally costing thousands and thousands out of my pocket," Hopkins said.
Related:
Drought may be causing increase in shark attacks off N.C., S.C.
Man bitten multiple times in OBX’s third shark attack in a week
Lifeguards say rip currents are a bigger concern at the beach than shark attacks
Three men catch 7-foot shark on Outer Banks
Man bitten by shark in Outer Banks while trying to get others to safety
Fishermen spy great white shark feasting on a whale; Internet gobbles up the GoPro video
