FLORIDA (7 Sep 2000) -- The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will vote on September 7 whether to adopt a draft rule to prohibit the feeding of sharks and other marine wildlife. The issue has turned into a classic battle between environmentalists led by Reef Relief and the Marine Safety Group who seek to limit human impact on natural ecosystems, and commercial interests led by dive industry giants PADI, DEMA and Rodale Inc that seek to profit from what they argue is responsible use of natural resources. In recent years, a number of dive operators, most notably Stuart Cove's in the Bahamas, have initiated shark feeding programs to guarantee customers the opportunity to observe sharks. Reef Relief and other environmental groups have referred to the practice as a "circus side-show" which alters natural behavior to the detriment of the sharks and potentially, to the divers who feed and observe them. According to Paul Johnson at Reef Relief, PADI and DEMA intend to take the battle to court if the Florida government commission adopts the ban. | | Environmentalists, divers and dive center owners have joined together to legally ban shark feeding and other commercial 'interactive' activities that are extremely harmful to marine wildlife and may pose a threat to public safety. The US dive industry including PADI, its eco-spin front Project Aware, and DEMA have been fighting to block legal bans on the lucrative business of exploiting sharks for the entertainment of dive tourists. Where does the global diving community stand on the issue? In an ongoing Cyber Diver Survey, divers have overwhelmingly voted in favor of the proposed ban on shark-feeding. © CDNN - CYBER DIVER NEWS NETWORK |
