Deep Dive

Deep Dive- A Shark Tale

In October 2006, a United States Department of Natural Resources Fish and Game Division study revealed concerns of declining shark populations primarily around the Gulf Shore areas of the Florida, Alabama, and Louisiana coastlines.

Subsequent legislation was enacted in effort to protect the wide range of the many shark species found there. By protecting the shark population, such control would act as a key component in saving the marine eco-systems of which these species play such an integral part.

Billy the Kid.

Introducing William “Billy” Driscoll. The chef and owner of Billy’s Lighthouse Tavern in the tiny port town of Fort Walton Beach, Florida.

A young entrepreneur type, Billy has been a bar-restaurant owner for nearly three years, having purchased the establishment at age 23 with earnings he accumulated playing high-stakes Texas Hold ‘em in his pre-dropout days at the Culinary Institute of America.

His apparent hobbies are cooking, gambling, and poorly managing a restaurant, as he has yet to turn a profit at anytime since purchasing the business and appears to soon be facing foreclosure. His desperation mounts and is beginning to show.

The Island Pier.

Not far from Billy’s is the Island Pier, a 1200-foot-long public structure that sits about forty feet above the waterline and is a popular spot for the mostly retired fishermen who spend their days angling for Black Drum, Flounder, Mahi Mahi, Redfish, Bluefish, and many other varieties of fish abundant in those waters.

Early mornings are typically full of activity and Billy could often be found strolling the pier, watching the action, and perhaps searching for answers. He enjoys not only witnessing the fishermen reeling in their catch but is also intrigued by the action on the many cleaning tables available where the anglers scale, gut, and fillet their bounties.

On one morning he was chatting with a fellow who had just caught a bluefish that easily exceeded 70 or more pounds. As the man gutted and filleted the fish, he suggested Billy watch as he tossed the bones, carcass and fish remains over the pier rail. As Billy looked down, he saw what appeared to be a half dozen or more sharks in a feeding frenzy all fighting for the bluefish remains. Billy was awestruck at the sight before him. He also recognized something…these appeared to be Blacktip sharks…known for their commercial quality, much like the Mako or Great White variety.

These sharks had a high-quality eating value. Billy then questioned the fisherman, “those sharks all seem a bit larger than the Bluefish or other species that are being caught off this pier, why does no one fish for the sharks” he asked? The man then explained to Billy that shark fishing was illegal and the fines and punishment too great to risk. It was widely known that if you hook a shark, releasing it immediately is expected.

As Billy left to open his bar, he could not stop thinking about what he had just witnessed. His wheels were turning as he pondered how great it would be to have an abundant supply of such tasty fish.

Before long, Billy had a plan. He started to frequent the pier daily. Each time he would see someone cleaning their catch, before they could toss the fish remains to the sharks, he would offer a few dollars to buy them from them. He explained he had a restaurant and could use the remains for soup or stock. It did not take long before they were all selling their scraps him. Billy now had his bait.

Next, Billy needed some sure-fire means to fish…something quick and easy. He went to a local camping supply outlet and bought plenty of rope and three-pronged grappling hooks designed for rock or mountain climbing. He also bought a grinding tool to sharpen the hook ends. This will work perfectly he thought to himself.

Go Fish.

Now it was time to go fishing. Each night he would wait until the bar was closed and the pier was empty and dark. He would pack a cart with his rope, hooks, and a bright lantern light that would shine directly on the water. He would pack two, twenty-pound bags of fish carcasses he kept fresh for bait. If things would go according to plan, his fishing trip would be over in a matter of minutes.

Mere minutes were all it took, as his plan worked perfectly. He would go to the far end of the pier, then shine his light directly downward to one specific spot. He would ready his grappling hooks on the rope, ready to drop. Once in position, he would drop one bag of fish remains just below the lit surface. Within seconds there were numerous sharks, just as he had hoped. He quickly dropped his line and snagged the biggest fish he could. In under three minutes he was hoisting what had to be a one-hundred-pound Blacktip shark upward toward the pier. It worked! He screamed with excitement inside his head.

He loaded the beast on his cart and went back for round two. In the exact same fashion, he did the exact same thing. Dropped the bait, snagged the shark. He was amazed at how quickly it all took place. In under twenty minutes he easily had snagged over one hundred and eighty pounds of fish. He swiftly gathered his equipment and fled off into the night. This was way too easy he thought to himself.

Nothing but good times from now on.

Billy now had free fish that if legally purchased would be valued at over one thousand, three hundred and fifty dollars. That would equate to a menu value of over four times that much, meaning each night “fishing” would earn him more than over five thousand dollars.

It did not take long before Billy’s Lighthouse Tavern became the talk of this sleepy beachfront community. The new expanded menu now featured wonderfully prepared fresh fish with items like Shark Bites Appetizers with Remoulade Sauce, Grilled Shark Steaks with French Beurre Blanc, Beer Batter Shark Fish & Chips. or the house favorite, Fresh Shark Cheeks Poached in White Wine topped with Fresh Herbs and Garlic Aioli.

Tourists and locals alike began packing the restaurant on a nightly basis as word spread like wildfire. Billy’s business was skyrocketing upward.

Cooking by day, fishing at night made him an almost instant success. His days of struggling to make ends meet were finally over. This went on for almost two years without letting up. His profits not only soared, but recognition for his food became greater than he ever could have imagined. His restaurant gained multiple Zagat stars and Billy himself was nominated for the James Beard Award for Best New Seafood Restaurant. Billy had finally made it…. or had he.

All good things must come to an end.

Something else was occurring in the coastal gulf region. The Department of Natural Resources begun noticing greater declines in the shark populations they were so keenly keeping tabs on. Once again, the department was suspicious of poaching activities. Before long, special agents were assigned to the region to investigate.

One such assigned agent was Tommy Royal, a Texas native and recent graduate of Colorado State School of Wildlife Conservation before joining the Fish and Game Division of the Department of Natural Resources. Tommy had come from a long line of police detectives and considered that direction before deciding on Wildlife Conservation. His inquisitive sense and aptitude for seeing more that what meets the eye would serve him well.

His new assignment would lead to weeks of cheap motel living, questionable meals, and countless interviews with few answers. He did learn however about this delightful little gem of a restaurant that had become popular for serving some of the area’s best seafood. Tiring of the fast-food overload, he decided to treat himself one night and give the place a try to see what all the fuss was about. A local joint called Billy’s Lighthouse Tavern.

Dining alone, Tommy decides to grab a cold beer and a seat at the bar. Reviewing the menu choices, he is instantly curious when he discovers that nine of the twelve items on the menu were made with fresh shark. Tommy may not have been deemed a rocket scientist, but the detective in him suggested something smelled a bit “fishy”.

Aware that all shellfish and many protected fish species required restaurant operators to retain purchasing documentation regarding origin and catch dates from their prospective fishmongers, Tommy decided this place might be worth a little looking into.

The following day, he returned to the restaurant identifying himself and asking to see his purchasing documents. Billy produced several, but most were for clams, oysters, and other shellfish, but only a few for shark. Tommy accepted the information but to him it did not add up. To be offering so many shark items and have so few shark related proof of purchase receipts seemed noticeably disproportionate. This place was just too busy and offered too many shark choices.

The closer Tommy looked, the more convinced he became that this place had to be involved somehow. But he needed proof. Like any old-fashioned gumshoe, he determined a stakeout of the operation, and of Billy himself, was necessary. It did not take long before his suspicions were confirmed.

It took only three days and two nights of closely watching the restaurant for incoming fish deliveries and the comings and goings of Billy. By the third night after closing, Tommy observed Billy, cart, equipment, and all, heading to the pier to do some fishing.

He followed from a distance and saw everything…lighting the target area in the water, delivering the bait of fish remains, and this time snagging three live sharks all weighing over eighty pounds or more each. Tommy, like Billy his first night, was completely amazed at how quickly it all took place. But this night would end much differently.

By the time Billy tied his catch to his cart and packed up his gear, Tommy and two other agents were there to greet him at the end of the pier. They confiscated what would be two hundred and seventy-two pounds of illegally obtained Blacktip Shark along with the unlawful snagging devices used to obtain them. Billy was arrested and taken into federal custody.

Go directly to jail. Do not pass go.

He would eventually be charged with 147 counts of unlawful catch of a protected species (poaching), all based on estimated accounts provided from testimony dating back to the purchase of fish remains from the local fishermen. An estimated timeline of over thirty months.

Both the State of Florida and the Federal sentencing guidelines require a maximum of $10,000 fine and 2 years imprisonment per count.

On May 14, 2010, after reaching a plea arrangement with the Federal government, William Driscoll pled guilty to 24 counts of unlawful catch of a protected species and 6 counts of destroying or concealing documentary evidence.

He was fined $50,000 and ordered to serve 150 months (12.5 years) at the Coleman United States Penitentiary in Wildwood, Florida.

Billy now works in the prison commissary kitchen where it has been rumored that the Friday evening fish sticks meal has become an inmate favorite since his arrival.

The James beard Foundation has since rescinded all prior awards, recognitions, and accolades upon learning of his unlawful use of protected species in his restaurant.

In a 2018 Case Study prepared by the Department of Natural Resources Fish and Game Division, the Gulf Shores region shark population estimates have returned to pre-2007 levels.

Easy come…Easy go.

Billy Driscoll obviously had talent regarding his abilities in the kitchen. His road to success may have taken longer had he obtained his fresh catch through legal sources, but he still might be doing it. The fish that drew patrons to his restaurant did not prepare itself…that aspect was a direct result of his culinary skills.

Maybe patience is a virtue. Maybe if he had earned the funds to buy his restaurant rather than through gambling, he may have learned the lesson found in doing the right thing.

Maybe.

About the author: Thomas Doyle is a career professional chef, entrepreneur, restaurant consultant and writer for the food industry. A Green Bay, Wisconsin resident, avid Green Bay Packer fan and lifelong season ticket holder, Doyle now can be found as a feature writer for Packerstalk.com.