Terms of Service

By creating an account, purchasing a membership, submitting a catch, or otherwise using sharkfyve.com (the “Site”), you agree to these Terms of Service. If you do not agree, do not use the Site.

Shark FYVE is operated by Cowboy Cowgirl Sportfishing Charters (“Shark FYVE”, “we”, “us”). We may update these terms; material changes will be posted here with a new “last updated” date, and continued use constitutes acceptance.

You must be at least 18 years old to purchase a membership and submit catches. Anglers under 18 may participate under a parent or guardian's account, and that adult is responsible for all activity on the account.

You are responsible for holding every license, permit, and endorsement required in the waters you fish, including federal HMS permits and state or national shark endorsements where applicable.

The Shark FYVE membership is $19.65 per year and includes access to one region of your choice. Additional regions may be activated for a one-time $10 fee per region. Prices are in U.S. dollars.

Free accounts may browse the Atlas, leaderboards, and journal. An active paid membership is required to submit a catch for verification. If a membership lapses, the account becomes read-only: existing verified catches and standings are retained, but new submissions are disabled until the membership is renewed.

Memberships renew automatically each year unless cancelled. You may cancel at any time from the member portal; access continues through the end of the paid term.

Submitted catches must be your own, legally taken, released alive where required, and accompanied by accurate media and details. Fabricated, altered, misdated, duplicated, or purchased catch evidence is grounds for rejection and permanent removal from the program without refund.

Verification is performed at our discretion, sometimes with input from verified operators. We may request additional media or information, decline a submission, or revoke a previously approved catch if new information warrants it. Verification decisions and resulting standings, awards, and recognitions are final.

Species identification is judged from the evidence submitted. Where a species is prohibited or protected in your jurisdiction, recognition may be limited to observation, photography, or educational credit only.

Shark FYVE is a release-first program. You agree to follow all local, state, federal, and international regulations, to minimize time out of the water, to use appropriate tackle and handling, and to never target prohibited species where prohibited.

Members do not tag sharks. We do not supply tags, do not accept member-applied tag data as verification, and do not incentivize tagging. Any future tagging work will occur only through permitted scientific partnerships.

Any evidence of illegal harvest, animal cruelty, harassment of protected species, or misrepresentation of location or method will result in immediate termination without refund and may be reported to the relevant authorities.

You retain ownership of the photos, video, and text you submit. By submitting, you grant Shark FYVE a non-exclusive, royalty-free, international license to host, reproduce, crop, and display that content on the Site and in Shark FYVE promotional materials, with credit to your member name where practical.

You confirm you have the right to grant that license and that your content does not infringe anyone else's rights or include people who have not consented to appear. You may request removal of your media by contacting us; removal may affect the verification status of the associated catch.

Verified operator listings are informational. Operators are independent businesses; Shark FYVE does not employ them, does not broker charters, and is not a party to any agreement between you and an operator. Verification reflects a documentation review, not a guarantee of performance, safety, or outcome.

Affiliate and operator applications are reviewed at our discretion. Approval may be withdrawn if licensing, insurance, conduct, or conservation standards are not maintained.

Offshore fishing and shark angling are inherently dangerous activities involving risk of serious injury or death. You participate entirely at your own risk. Shark FYVE does not supervise, direct, or control any fishing activity and provides no safety instruction, equipment, or oversight.

The Site and the program are provided “as is” without warranties of any kind. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Shark FYVE is not liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages, and our total liability for any claim is limited to the amount you paid us in the twelve months preceding the claim.

You are responsible for the security of your account credentials and for all activity under your account. We may suspend or terminate an account for violation of these terms, fraudulent submissions, abusive conduct, or unlawful activity.

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Florida, USA, without regard to conflict-of-laws principles. Any dispute will be brought in the state or federal courts located in Monroe County, Florida, and you consent to that venue.

Questions about these terms: Hello@sharkfyve.com. Membership questions: Members@sharkfyve.com.