RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. — A controversial shark tournament was held in Palm Beach County on Saturday, WPTV reports.

The Patrick Price Memorial Bull Shark Tournament is an event created to maintain the shark population of the area, according to organizers.

Fishermen who participated in the tournament brought in nine of the sharks, the largest one weighing in at 397lbs.

Dozens of activists gathered on Blue Heron Bridge to protest the event, claiming it was unethical and not the best answer to the growing shark population.

The location of the tournament was withheld from the public to avoid conflict.

Shark activists also reached out to local lawmakers in an effort to make sure that the tournament doesn’t happen again.

Tournament organizers say the sharks that were brought in will later be used to make shark repellant.