The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) has informed coastal communities, including Sullivan’s Island and Folly Beach, that local governments cannot ban drone fishing. The state agency asserts that the authority to regulate fishing methods rests solely with the SCDNR, not with individual municipalities.
Sullivan’s Island leaders had planned to discuss an ordinance on August 18 that would prohibit fishing lines from being cast using anything other than a traditional rod and reel. This proposed ban specifically aimed to curb the use of drones by fishermen to deliver bait or carry lines beyond the breaking waves. Mayor Pat O’Neil expressed concerns that these new bait delivery methods could introduce different species and sizes of fish into areas frequented by swimmers. The town’s initiative followed similar attempts by Folly Beach and the Isle of Palms, with O’Neil worrying that bans in those popular areas would increase drone fishing on Sullivan’s Island.
Folly Beach officials sought to ban the practice in July after receiving complaints from beachgoers about drones being used to bait the water. City Administrator Aaron Pope stated that Folly Beach’s proposal was intended to regulate the use of drones or mechanical devices, not to limit fishing activity itself. Last year, the Isle of Palms enacted a surf fishing ordinance that barred artificial or mechanical means of casting lines or dropping bait, with language nearly identical to Sullivan’s Island’s proposal.
However, Blaik Keppler, deputy director of the SCDNR’s marine resources division, clarified that state law delegates the power to regulate fishing methods to the SCDNR, which issues permits and sets catch limits. While local communities can regulate public safety, conflicts arise when they attempt to restrict the methods, tools, and equipment anglers use. The SCDNR sent identical letters to Sullivan’s Island and Folly Beach, suggesting that legitimate public safety initiatives could be achieved by focusing on hazardous conduct or equipment operation in congested public areas, rather than regulating fishing methods.
Following the SCDNR’s guidance, Sullivan’s Island leaders withdrew their proposed drone ban on August 18. They now plan to revise the ordinance to discourage unsafe fishing practices, such as fishing in swimming areas, without infringing on state authority. Folly Beach leaders made a similar decision last month and have not yet codified any drone fishing bans. A comparable ban in Georgetown County was dropped last year due to public opposition.
Keppler also addressed the misconception that fishing for sharks draws more sharks to the shore, stating that this belief is not supported by scientific data. The sharks typically caught in spring, summer, and fall are already present in those areas, and the data does not suggest that shark fishing creates additional risk in terms of shark bites. Daniel Brush, an angler from James Island who has been shark fishing for over 15 years and tags sharks for the SCDNR’s game fish tagging program, explained that drones are used because the equipment needed for shark fishing is too heavy to cast by hand. He noted that anglers use whole fish or parts of fish as bait, never chumming the waters.
Shark bites are rare in the United States. Records from the Florida Museum’s International Shark Attack File show 101 unprovoked shark attacks in South Carolina since 1837. Keppler indicated that the frequency of unprovoked shark bites has decreased in recent years, averaging about 2.5 annually since 2018.
