Florida bans feeding of sharks for dive tourists
Date: 02-Nov-01
Country: USA
The state's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission voted to ban marine life feeding by divers at a meeting in Key Largo. The FWC said that while there was no evidence of links between shark feeds and attacks on humans, the practice was harmful as it alters the natural feeding habits of marine predators and other marine life.
The ban, which takes effect Jan. 1, already faces a legal challenge by the dive industry, the FWC noted.
The ban will affect four south Florida dive tour operators that feature scuba diving excursions, during which operators introduce food into the water to attract sharks, rays, eels and barracudas for adventurous divers, the commission said in a statement.
The commission also said that during public sessions to discuss the possible ban in recent years, numerous individuals and groups expressed concerns that the practice modifies the natural feeding habits of marine predators and other marine life.
The statement said there was "no known connection" between the feeding dives and shark attacks and bites on humans this year. But it added that wildlife commissioners "concluded any practice that modifies natural feeding habits of marine species is unacceptable, and practices that teach marine life to associate people with food is unhealthy for marine life as well as humans."
Several horrific shark attacks this summer focused public attention on "interactive" scuba dives, during which tour leaders hand-feed sharks while other divers watch.
Critics say shark-feeding dives cause sharks to lose their natural fear of humans and may serve to attract and concentrate sharks in areas near popular beaches, increasing the possibility of attacks.
The Florida-based International Shark Attack File recorded more than 40 attacks in U.S. waters this year.
In September, two people were fatally attacked by sharks in separate incidents in waters off North Carolina and Virginia.
The two attacks occurred after a pair of notable incidents in Florida and the Bahamas earlier in a summer some media dubbed "the Summer of the Shark." In July, 8-year-old Jessie Arbogast was attacked near Pensacola, Florida. His arm was torn off by the shark and later reattached by surgeons.
In August, Wall Street banker Krishna Thompson was bitten as he swam off Freeport, Bahamas. His mangled left leg had to be amputated.
While only a handful of Florida scuba operators offer interactive dives, the industry estimates that globally some 100,000 scuba divers a year participate in shark-feeding dives at 300 sites in 40 countries.
