DEL RAY BEACH, Florida (12 May 2001) -- The Del Ray Beach City Commission has voted unanimously (5-0) to send a letter to the Florida State Wildlife Commission (FWC) urging it to ban or regulate shark feeding activities because of the threat to public safety, harm to the marine environment and potential for damage to the tourist industry. The letter Del Ray Beach sent to the FWC is as follows: Allen L. Egbert, Executive Director
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Marathon Building
2574 Executive Center Circle East
Tallahassee, Fl 32301 Re: Marine Life Feeding by Dive Tour Operators Dear Mr. Egbert: Recently it was brought to the attention of the Del Ray beach City Commission that sharks and other marine predators are being fed by dive tour operators in the general vicinity of our city. It is well established now that when people feed terrestrial wildlife it is bad for the wildlife and dangerous to the people involved. We have also seen results from several studies, which indicate that such feeding creates a similar response in marine life. The City of Del Ray Beach maintains some one and one-half miles of public beach, which has been recognized as the best swimming beach in the southeastern United States. We are, therefore, very concerned about the safety of swimmers using our beach. It appears that dive tour operators feeding marine life that may later come into our swimming and snorkeling areas may well compromise the safety of such swimmers. | | While we understand that dive tour operators bring a certain number of tourists into our state and our area, certainly many times more tourists come to enjoy our beaches. Anything that might create the perception that our beaches are unsafe is surely to be avoided at all costs. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission has the authority and responsibility to prohibit or appropriately regulate feeding of marine life by divers in the state's coastal waters. We urge you to carefully and thoroughly study this issue, and to prohibit or regulate it in a manner, which errs on the side of protecting the millions of visitors and residents who use our beaches. Sincerely, David W. Schmidt © CDNN - CYBER DIVER NEWS NETWORK |
