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	Maui not biting on toxic shark feeder bait Powered by CDNN - Cyber Diver News Network July 10, 2009 WAILUKU, Maui — Maui County has no tours available for visitors to plunge into the ocean and watch sharks cruise by from the safety of submerged cages. And County Councilman Wayne Nishiki wants to make sure such an activity doesn't come here. "I think we need to take precautions," he said, adding that he's concerned that if shark tours become established in Maui waters, then surfers, swimmers and everyone else who enjoys the ocean could be endangered. Nishiki said he particularly objects to outsiders coming to Maui to exploit a business opportunity without regard for the lifestyle or safety of residents. "All they're interested in is the big buck and that's it," he said yesterday. Nishiki said he's seeking a county ordinance that would ban shark tours in Maui County. He said the county has the power to do so by blocking business licenses for the activity. The South Maui council member introduced the shark tour prohibition during a meeting yesterday. The matter was referred to the council's Economic Development, Agriculture and Recreation Committee, chaired by Jo Anne Johnson. Nishiki said that although he would like the state Legislature to pass a ban, he doesn't know how long it will take for the state to take action. Nishiki's proposal included a copy of a Honolulu City Council resolution urging the passage and enforcement of state legislation to ban commercial shark-viewing tours and related activities. He said he didn't want to see the Maui County Council pass only a resolution because it would not have the force and effect of law. Shark-viewing tours attract paying customers on Oahu's North Shore, but there's a growing statewide movement to stop the tours from operating. Some Native Hawaiians consider sharks to be ancestral gods, and they find it offensive to have tourists feeding and viewing them for entertainment. Surfers and environmentalists worry that shark tours might have the ocean predators linking people with food, and scientists say luring sharks to certain areas could disrupt the ecological balance in near-shore waters. Click graphic to view Shark Feeding Timeline   Sharks are beautiful animals that deserve to be fully protected from all human exploitation including shark finning and shark feeding. While legitimate marine conservation groups and respected scientists do the hard, tedious work to protect endangered shark species, dive industry insiders lobby to prevent full protection of sharks, green-wash the lucrative shark feeding industry as "conservation" and "education" and argue that people have the right to die or get hurt while participating in shark feeding dives. In June 2009, a woman died after she was attacked by a "provoked" shark at an illegal shark feeding site in the Red Sea. In 2008, a man died after he was attacked by another "provoked" shark while diving with notorious Florida shark feeder Jim Abernethy of Jim Abernethy's Scuba Adventures.  To get around Florida's shark feeding ban and continue profiting from activities based on manipulating marine predators to perform for thrill-seeking tourists, Abernethy takes divers from Florida to the Bahamas on the Shear Water, an old bare bones live-aboard dive boat. In Hawaii, shark feeders have avoided prosecution by taking tourists three miles offshore, however, federal law prohibits feeding sharks within 200 miles of Hawaii's coasts.   CDNN RELATED NEWS CDNN SPECIAL REPORT - Shark feeding, shark baiting, shark chumming OAHU - Hawaiians move to protect sharks by shutting down shark feeders OAHU - Lawmaker launches task force to shut down shark feeders EGYPT - Shark kills diver at illegal Red Sea shark feeding site BAHAMAS - Dive boat captain 'shaken' after sharks eat human at shark baiting site FLORIDA - Bahamas shark bite death shows need to expand shark feeding ban FLORIDA - Bahamas shark feeding tours endanger island visitors BAHAMAS - Thrilled to death: Shark feeding in the Bahamas BAHAMAS - Jim Abernethy under criminal investigation for shark feeding death BAHAMAS - Fatal shark attack vindicates Florida's decision to ban shark feeding BAHAMAS - Shark kills tourist during Jim Abernethy's 'interactive' shark feeding dive OAHU - Daredevil stunt kills notorious shark feeder OAHU - Deja vu all over again: Feds ban shark feeding in Hawaii OAHU - Defiant shark feeders deny endangering public safety HAWAII - State bans shark feeding HAWAII - State officials move to ban shark feeding SCUBA FORUM HAVE YOUR SAY - Discuss this article KNOW BEFORE YOU GO SCUBALINX :: Dive Hawaii CYBER DIVER TRAVEL GUIDE :: Hawaii CDNN DESTINATIONS :: Hawaii   SHARK BAITING: Hype vs Reality Myth: Shark feeders and shark baiters aim to conserve sharks. Truth: Dive industry-endorsed shark feeders and shark baiters aim to profit from so-called "interactive" shark feeding tours that harm marine wildlife and compromise public safety. Myth: Shark feeding is a non-issue because shark finning is worse. Truth: Just because there are people doing worse things to sharks does not make shark feeding trivial, or a non-issue. Myth: Baiting sharks or feeding sharks does not modify shark behavior. Truth: Manipulating sharks with bait to approach dive boats and "perform" for a dozen or more thrill-seeking scuba diving tourists, or "model" for underwater photographers, severely damages their natural defense mechanisms and significantly increases the probability they will be killed by shark fishers. Myth: Feeding or baiting sharks is the solution to finning sharks. Truth: There is no evidence that the billion plus consumers who eat sharks are motivated by hatred, fear and revenge, nor that rebranding sharks as "circus" or "rodeo" performers will make them less appetizing. Since the dive industry endorsed "interactive" shark diving, the number of sharks killed every year has tripled to satisfy the increasing Chinese demand for shark fin soup. Myth: People get their information about sharks from Hollywood horror movies. Truth: Most people do not get their information about sharks from crude, dated Hollywood horror movies (JAWS) nor underwater image touts masquerading as conservationists.  While it is natural to fear apex predators such as bears, lions, tigers and sharks, it is not natural to wish them to be wiped off the face of the planet. People understand that most big animal species are threatened by human activities and should be protected. Myth: Pretending that sharks do not eat humans will help protect them. Truth: Whale sharks are renowned as the gentle giants of the shark world.  They do not eat humans, yet they are among the most endangered of all shark species. While not the perferred main course of apex predators, the notion that humans are somehow exempt from the menu is almost as absurd as the notion that encouraging people to bait, feed, poke, prod and ride sharks will stop one billion plus people from eating them.
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