KEY WEST, Florida (18 Nov 2001) -- Florida Keys dive operators who offer shark-feeding expeditions aren't off the hook as far as the state's new shark-feeding ban goes. Even though The Diving Site in Marathon and Capt. Slate's Atlantis Dive Center in Key Largo conduct their expeditions outside state waters, it's likely that a similar federal rule will follow. According to Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary superintendent Billy Causey, Sanctuary staff will look to implement the rule in federal waters as part of the federal agency's partnership with the state, which calls for consistent regulations. Without that agreement, there could conceivably be four different sets of rules for Keys waters, he said. "When we started working with our state partners in implementing the sanctuary, one of the very first things we did was establish a fisheries protocol," said Causey. "We strive to have a consistent set of fishing regulations and those rules that deal with marine life throughout the sanctuary." Woody Mepham, of The Diving Site, said he's not surprised that sanctuary action is in the offing. In the past, the sanctuary has adopted other rules approved by various state agencies including the Gulf and Atlantic fisheries councils and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. But Mepham also questioned the benefit of the rule in the Keys. "We do our [shark-feeding dives] on an educational-type basis," he said. "Cowboys and thrill seekers are not what we're after. We're trying to teach people how sharks live. Most get back on the boat and say it's nothing like on TV. It gives them a different outlook [that] sharks are not something to be killed." | | The irony that shark fishing would continue to be allowed -- along with displaying dead sharks on hooks outside marinas -- did not escape Mepham. "This would make it all right to kill sharks, but not to look at them," he said. Causey said a shark-feeding ban in federal waters will take six to 18 months to implement. And before any action is taken, there will be public notice and hearings in the Keys, he added. "We would have to go through our full planning process, which means we have to look at the environmental consequences and the socio-economic impacts," said Causey. "The idea is to not just immediately say it's banned in state waters, so ban it in federal waters. And while we agree with many of the issues raised, we feel that there needs to be a thorough public review for us to address it, particularly as it relates to other activities." Said Mepham, "The big argument is that feeding them is changing their behavior. I'm not going to debate that point because I really don't know, but if [the sharks] have to rely on us for food, they've had it." Action on a sanctuary shark-feeding ban isn't expected until January at the earliest, said Causey, and it could be delayed until July. SOURCE - Citizen |
