Shark feeding?

[Gavin Yates]

<font color='#000F22'>I've only got a very basic view on this:-

I don't want anything with bigger teeth than me to associate me with food.

Nuff said.

[Lou]

Daz

I would definitely count baiting in a differetn category to feeding. &nbsp;If the shark isn't learning to associate the activity with an easy meal then in theory you are less likely to be altering his/her natural behaviour. &nbsp;That seems borne out by your description of the encounter. &nbsp;

The balance of value alive vs dead is an interesting point, but basically the operators are out to make an easy buck from punters who want &quot;guaranteed&quot; action. &nbsp;A by-product of our instant gratification society. &nbsp;Create a set of divers who want to see sharks, and will come to the area to see sharks, but who won't support shark feeds and the value tot he locals is still there, it is just the expectation of the divers that has to change.



Lou

[John Gulliver]

Frankly, I doubt if shark-feeding as a way of increasing (a few) people's appreciation of sharks is of any importance whatsoever in the shark conservation context. We still kill somewhere between a hundred and two hundred million sharks every year. I suspect the conservation argument is just a pretext for the divecentres to continue a very profitable activity.

[Mark Davies]

<font color='#000080'>There are a few Marine Biologists posting on this site, but I am certainly not one of them. I cannot comment on the basis of scientificaly proven theory and only do so on basic gut instinct.

In my view our planet's ecology is such a complex system that we will never have any hope of fully understanding it. Until we understand it we're never going to know how our interference with it is going to effect it. The only safe way to proceed is not to interfere with it at all until you know exactly what you are doing.

From that general premise I would be against shark feeds. It effects their natural behaviour and we don't know what the result of that could be.

I would like shark encounters to be so rare that a natural encounter was something to be prized and cherished and worth making the effort for. Like Lou says, we are now in a quick gratification world where anything can be had for enough dollars and we know the cost of everything and the value of nothing.

I would love to see sharks, but I'll wait until one happens to come along. I'll appreciate it more. We have to try and keep some wonder in life.

However, a few have raised the point about how the ecotourism may at least be having some effect on reducing the frightening rate of shark kills. It does, at least to some commumities, make sharks more valuable alive than dead, which can't be entirely a bad think.

So, mixed feelings on wheteher it should be allowed, but I certainly won't be taking part.

[John Gulliver]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Mark Davies @ Oct. 22 2003,15:22)]I would like shark encounters to be so rare that a natural encounter was something to be prized and cherished and worth making the effort for. Like Lou says, we are now in a quick gratification world where anything can be had for enough dollars and we know the cost of everything and the value of nothing.

I would love to see sharks, but I'll wait until one happens to come along. I'll appreciate it more. We have to try and keep some wonder in life.

Mark, shark encounters don't have to be rare, even without feeding. If you go to the right place at the right time, you WILL see sharks. Pesonally, I'm all for &quot;instant gratification&quot; in this context. I love seeing sharks and do NOT want encounters to be rare. I'm still against feeding them, though.
PS As I said on the other thread, a good rule in all ecological contexts is: If you don't know the answer, err on the side of safety, so I agree with you there.

[Lou]

Okay, in the interests of fairness, here is the response i have had from Blackbeard Tours....hot off the press....

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]
Hi Louise,

I appreciate your concerns and I generally agree with you, but not in this case. &nbsp; The behavior change is minimal and very localized. &nbsp; The sharks that are fed in the Bahamas are largely sedentary, so the 5 shark dives attrack sharks from only 80 sq miles out of the 92,000 miles of banks that the Bahamas has. &nbsp; Shark scientists have been studying the sharks for over 10 years at these sites and have found no definate negative effect to sharks. &nbsp; &nbsp;But in any negative effect to sharks is more then offset by the great positive effect on public opinion about sharks. &nbsp; Until shark dives the public had a very negative opinion on sharks, but after making a shark dive this opinion is completely reversed. &nbsp; With shark populations down over 80% &nbsp;and in the case of some pelagic sharks much higher. &nbsp;Some of these pelagic sharks are rapidily reaching the point where reproduction will be almost impossible.

Bruce Purdy

So he is of the view that the number of divers who see a shark during a shark feed, who wouldn't have seen a shark anyway, affect public opinion so strongly that it is worth it.

[daz]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Mark Davies @ Oct. 22 2003,14:22)]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]From that general premise I would be against shark feeds. It effects their natural behaviour and we don't know what the result of that could be.

Playing devils advocate here, &nbsp;but much of what we do MAY have an effect on their natural behaviour. &nbsp;For instance all of the safari boats going out to Brothers Islands or Elphinstone in the Red Sea could affect their natural behaviour. &nbsp;Or even the damage to the reefs around Sharm.

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]I would like shark encounters to be so rare that a natural encounter was something to be prized and cherished and worth making the effort for. Like Lou says, we are now in a quick gratification world where anything can be had for enough dollars and we know the cost of everything and the value of nothing.

Shark encounters with some species may indeed become a rare occurence, especially if shark finning continues. &nbsp;

There are many, many unknowns, &nbsp;personally I do not agree with shark feeding. &nbsp;I do think it has been of benefit in the past to improve the sharks image but I do not believe that stopping it now would be detrimental to their cause. &nbsp;

However while it is allowed to continue I would not discourage anyone from doing it if that was what they wanted to do. &nbsp;Hopefully they would get something of benefit out of it and promote sharks in a positive light after the experience.

Daz

[Noel Johnson]

No, never and once more NO! Feeding anything that changes or alters an animals natural behaviour is bad for the fish, Please note though I am NOT a tree hugger - I really can't be when I was one of the team that engineered the new gas guzzling (to coin an American phrase) Jaguar XJ.

On the last trip to the Red Sea we witnessed one of the cooks feeding a Napoleon and discreetly told him the error of his ways and he seemed genuinely shocked that the egg could kill the animal. This was the same Napoleon that attacked one of the other divers whilst she was taking a video, which is vert dramatic BTW, as it thought her camera was food.

Baiting though is slightly different as long as the fish can't get to the bait it should remain a happy and inquisative chap.

Sorry if I've gotten on my soapbox again but I do like to talk, okay, rant.

[John Gulliver]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Lou @ Oct. 22 2003,16:27)]Shark scientists have been studying the sharks for over 10 years at these sites and have found no definate negative effect to sharks.    

Bruce Purdy

Off topic but here's yet another example of someone who can't spell definite. I see it misspelt time and time again on this and &quot;the other&quot; forum. How come it's so difficult? It's DEFINITE!!!!
There! I feel much better after that little rant. &nbsp;

[John N]

Personally, I don't have a problem with shark feeding as long as it's a limited supply at limited times.

The most damaging act involved in changing shark behaviour is fishing i.e. it stops all behaviour.

If you've ever eaten 'fish' in a restaurant in Egypt or Australia, unless the type is specified there's a very good chance you are eating shark...