The Humane Society of the United States has purchased newspaper ads and banners and begun a letter-writing campaign to the Ocean City mayor and City Council, seeking to end the tournament after this year.

"We're talking about killing sharks for fun and money. What does this say to our children?" said John Grandy, a senior vice president of the group.

Charter boat captain Mark Sampson, who founded the 27-year-old tournament, said his rules are stricter than those imposed by federal fishing regulations. He said that as a result, an average of 20 sharks are brought to shore and 80 are released.

"The bottom line is even if our tournament was 100 percent catch-and-release, the humane society would still be here protesting. These sharks are not on the endangered list. So the tournament comes to an end. So 20 sharks didn't die this year. That's a drop in the bucket," Sampson said.

This year's four-day contest begins Wednesday. It is expected to attract several hundred anglers and an equally large crowd of spectators for the daily weigh-ins.

Ocean City Mayor Richard W. Meehan says the council has not taken any action, hoping the two sides will work out their differences. Meehan also noted that the weigh-ins are in West Ocean City, outside the council's jurisdiction.