This is the most often reported example of depredation. This can be minimised by using heavier gear and boat manoeuvring to shorten fight times and/or avoiding known depredation hotspots.
Fish eaten upon release
This can happen when sharks are attracted to the boat during the fight, but do not manage to catch the fish before it is landed or boated. Then once the fish is returned to the water, the shark(s) attack the tired, weakened fish. This can be minimised by using heavier gear and boat manoeuvring to shorten fight times, minimising the amount of time the fish is handled out of the water, and/or avoiding known depredation hotspots.
Hooking sharks while fishing
This circumstance is inevitable when sharks are aggressively eating fish hooked on rod and reel. Using heavier gear to bring fish on-board before the sharks can get to them is one way to avoid this happening. However, if depredation is occurring in the area, there is a real chance that someone will hook a shark that was not the intended target. Should this happen, there are safe ways to unhook sharks. In instances where it is not safe to bring a shark aboard (e.g. young children on board, crowded deck, rough seas etc.), it might be necessary for your own safety to simply cut the line as close to the shark as possible.