HalcyonDaze
Contributor
Hmm, looks like it might not only be dive charters that would get the pinch - More hammerheads, great whites off O.C. lead to new excursions - shark-watching tours
There's a bill in congress to ban shark feeding dives
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HalcyonDaze
Contributor
The Sun-Sentinel ran an article today regarding the feeding ban: Controversial shark dives may be banned in federal waters
From what I've put together, the feeding advocates are really behind the 8-ball here. The time to fight this on a relatively even footing was when it was introduced into committee; however it was only there for a week before being sent to the Senate floor without amendment. As far as I can tell, it was about three weeks before this really hit the news. I'm not really in the loop as to what's going on with the response to this proposed legislation, but I have not exactly seen encouraging signs of an organized resistance even within the Florida shark diving community, and I haven't heard a peep regarding operators in other states who would be affected by this.
One of the Florida charters was advised that the best way to fight this would be to hire a lobbyist, but as far as I know that advice has not been followed. It's kind of an example of how once something gets into Congress, you really need major political horsepower to fight it. A source of mine has been inquiring whether or not DEMA supports or opposes this legislation; as far as I know they have been uncharacteristically silent on it. Major lobbying by the recreational dive industry would be the most effective way of stopping the proposed feeding ban; conversely if the ban has support from the recreational dive industry that's bad news. Personally, I think the latter would be hypocritical, given the promotion of feeding dives overseas.
A source of mine has also said that the chances of shark dive charters being able to get a "permit" to continue operations would be about nonexistent.
From what I've put together, the feeding advocates are really behind the 8-ball here. The time to fight this on a relatively even footing was when it was introduced into committee; however it was only there for a week before being sent to the Senate floor without amendment. As far as I can tell, it was about three weeks before this really hit the news. I'm not really in the loop as to what's going on with the response to this proposed legislation, but I have not exactly seen encouraging signs of an organized resistance even within the Florida shark diving community, and I haven't heard a peep regarding operators in other states who would be affected by this.
One of the Florida charters was advised that the best way to fight this would be to hire a lobbyist, but as far as I know that advice has not been followed. It's kind of an example of how once something gets into Congress, you really need major political horsepower to fight it. A source of mine has been inquiring whether or not DEMA supports or opposes this legislation; as far as I know they have been uncharacteristically silent on it. Major lobbying by the recreational dive industry would be the most effective way of stopping the proposed feeding ban; conversely if the ban has support from the recreational dive industry that's bad news. Personally, I think the latter would be hypocritical, given the promotion of feeding dives overseas.
A source of mine has also said that the chances of shark dive charters being able to get a "permit" to continue operations would be about nonexistent.
HalcyonDaze
Contributor
Just got word from what I consider a reliable source that DEMA is in opposition to this bill, which I was hoping would be the case.
HalcyonDaze
Contributor
DEMA issued their statement in opposition to the shark feeding ban on Monday: INDUSTRY ALERT: Shark Feeding Ban - The Diving Equipment & Marketing Association
I've only seen a few sharks in the wild, none when I had a camera so I have thought about what a shark feeding dive would be like. I would expect it to be an unnatural setting with several sharks in a feeding frenzy surrounded by divers kneeling on the bottom. After a bit of research I have found it to be even worse. If the grabbing of sharks and teasing them with food is how these operators work I'll stick to nudibranch photography.
This left me hoping one of the "handlers" would lose a hand.
This left me hoping one of the "handlers" would lose a hand.
dumpsterDiver
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If you were a local spearfisherman, how would you feel about these guys training the local sharks to take fish off stringers and out of people's hands? They also feed them off pole spears.
There is no way I would be convinced that this type of feeding is not going to reduce the shark's natural fear of approaching divers. We stopped feeding alligators and bears a while ago, but this is a good idea? Once an alligator or bear loses its fear of humans, government officials will hunt it down and kill it.
I personally know several divers who have been attacked by sharks in the local area. They are dangerous and should not be hand fed in my opinion.
HalcyonDaze
Contributor
Personally speaking, I've never really been a fan of the "showier" aspects of the dives, although last weekend at Tiger Beach the guy doing the feedings was telling me he does that as a show of dominance to keep the sharks from just crushing the bait box (literally) and being done with it. I know other photographers who love to get bite shots and have the sharks "on the dome;" me, I'm fine having them just swimming by at slightly longer ranges. Typically I'd describe them as much more deliberate than "frenzied;" the guy who put that YouTube montage together, John Dickinson likes to play with the speed on his clips (in this case, setting the pace to Lady Gaga ... sometimes I wonder about him 
).
As for local spearfishermen, John does a fair bit of spearing in the Jupiter area and often on the shark dives; I think Emerald usually runs at least one regular weekday trip that's spearing-only rather than a shark dive:
At Tiger Beach the two times I've been out there on a private boat, I've taken it upon myself to whittle down the lionfish population a little. The lemon sharks that have probably been fed for years aren't much of a concern for me; it's those runty little three-foot reefies that make me keep my head on a swivel.
).As for local spearfishermen, John does a fair bit of spearing in the Jupiter area and often on the shark dives; I think Emerald usually runs at least one regular weekday trip that's spearing-only rather than a shark dive:
At Tiger Beach the two times I've been out there on a private boat, I've taken it upon myself to whittle down the lionfish population a little. The lemon sharks that have probably been fed for years aren't much of a concern for me; it's those runty little three-foot reefies that make me keep my head on a swivel.
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