People are taking to the water this weekend to catch a few cod for the table, but some hook more than just cod on their lines.

In recent years, photos and videos have been circulating of people who inadvertently catch sharks on their line.

Area Chief of Conservation and Protection with DFO, Melissa Abbott says it’s important not to panic if you get a shark on the line, and have some basic tools on hand to free it safely.

She says sharks cannot breathe if they’re not swimming freely in the water, so never take a shark on board, or tie it to your boat. She suggests, keeping safety top of mind, to keep thick gloves and bolt cutters on hand to cut a shark free if it happens to get hooked on a line.

The fishery is open every Saturday, Sunday, and Monday from now until September 5th.