Shark Conservation
Back in 1983, when I was a 22-year-old open water student, I heard a fellow student ask the instructor with dread “will I see sharks?” To which the instructor replied, “you can dive your entire lifetime and never see a shark.” He further asserted, much to the comfort of the student, “in 15 years of diving, I have never seen a shark underwater.” Well, I am very happy to report that the United States and most Caribbean Islands have made great strides in marine ecology, and we are now reaping the benefits of efforts started in the 1990’s. There will always be more work, research and education needed to continue the progress, but it would be foolish not to acknowledge the gains made. Based on my experience, should you dive 10 times in the oceans of the United States and the Caribbean, you will encounter sharks 8 out of the 10. Now the query is “How do you know if you are diving with sharks?” Answer, if the water tastes salty, you are diving with sharks.
Because of this success, we now have a debate whether feeding sharks for the purpose of observation and eco-tourism is good or bad? The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) Regulations for Feeding Fish, Shark or other Marine Species reads: “Feeding fish, sharks or other marine species while diving or snorkeling is prohibited. It is also prohibited to operate a boat that is hired to carry passengers to any area within state waters to engage in fish feeding while divers are in the water. In these circumstances, fish feeding means the introduction of any food or other substances into the water by a diver or snorkeler for the purpose of feeding or attracting marine species.”
However, it is perfectly lawful and acceptable to introduce food or other substances into the water by a fisherman for the purpose of attracting marine species so they can…kill them. One of the arguments made against shark feeding is that it will change shark natural habits and associate man with food. One thing I think we can all agree on is killing a shark will all ways change its behavior. Sharks have been swimming in the oceans for 400 million years and have survived multiple extinction events. As such they are always adapting, so I highly doubt the premise has any credibility. But let’s look to our neighbors to the east for some stats. The Bahamas banned long line shark fishing in 1993 and commercial shark fishing in 2011. The dive industry in the Bahamas generates nearly US$114 million per year, with 99 percent of that money coming from shark diving, according to a 2017 study published in the scientific journal Biological Conservation. Andrea Haas, a researcher at the Cape Eleuthera Institute and lead author of the study, told Hakai Magazine:
“Our study found that the Bahamas has the largest shark diving economy in the world. This is exciting because it demonstrates the stream of economic benefits that the Bahamas is receiving . . . from conservation actions it took many years ago.”
Since 1580, there have been 33 confirmed, unprovoked shark attacks in the Bahamas, according to the International Shark Attack File. The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation estimated 55,082 divers visited the Bahamas in 2024. The FWC’s numbers and rationale just don’t add up. I like to say, “divers can view a shark 365 days a year, but you can kill it only once!”
Sharks populations are under great stress worldwide, we are doing good, however we can always do much better.
Not everything in the ocean needs to be killed. I vote for Eco Tourism!
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