Florida Bans Shark-feeding Dives

Key Largo, FL. In a landmark decision, Florida today became the first state in the U.S. to prohibit divers from feeding marine wildlife. The ruling will go into effect on January 1, 2002.

Environmentalists immediately hailed the unanimous decision by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FFWCC) as a major victory for wildlife protection and marine conservation.

Bob Dimond, President of the Marine Safety Group (MSG) a Florida non-profit that has fought for two years in support of today's decision, stated "Finally, Florida's marine life will get the same kinds of protection given wildlife on land". "And", Dimond continued, "Divers all over the state will once again be able to enjoy the natural beauty of the undersea world without being continually 'mugged' by aggressive fish seeking handouts".

Paul Johnson, spokesman for Reef Relief (a Key West-based environmental group that has worked hard to promote today's ruling), echoed the same sentiments, stating, "Reef Relief is pleased that Florida's marine wildlife will remain wild".

Scientists and wildlife managers testified during recent FFWCC proceedings that feeding wildlife invariably changes animal behavior, creating numerous problems for both "fed" animals and nearby people. They pointed out that the U.S. National Park Service instituted a blanket prohibition on people feeding wildlife many years ago for these very reasons.

After considering information presented over the last two years, FFWCC Chairman David Meehan concluded that, "Feeding marine life disrupts the natural behavior and feeding habits of fish and other animals. That is not in the best interest of marine life, and it could pose a threat to public safety."

George Burgess, a shark expert who maintains the University of Florida's International Shark Attack File, presented facts that support Meehan's position. "More than two dozen injuries have occurred (at shark feeding sites) in the last several years, at least two quite serious", he reported.

Commercial dive interests, led by the Dive Equipment and Marketing Association (DEMA) and the Professional Association of Dive Instructors (PADI) waged an intense but unsuccessful two-year campaign to block today's rule, and vowed to continue the fight in Florida's courts.

Nonetheless, conservationists are confident that today's ruling will stand. Dimond pointed out that a similar prohibition on people feeding marine mammals was enacted by Federal authorities (NOAA) several years ago under the auspices of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and successfully withstood a challenge mounted in Federal court by Gulf Coast feeding tour operators.

Dimond is also optimistic that Florida's decisive action will encourage other states to soon follow suit. Right now, California and Hawaii are the only others (beside Florida) in which commercial shark or fish feeding tours for divers are actively promoted, usually under the guise of so-called "interactive dives".

Hawaii has closed off increasing sections of its coast to marine wildlife feeding in recent years, while in California the practice remains entirely unregulated. Internationally, the Bahamas, Cayman Islands, South Africa, Australia and a few South Pacific island nations (Fiji, French Polynesia) are world leaders in promoting wildlife-feeding dive tours.

Copyright 2001. Marine Safety Group, Inc.

Contact: Bob Dimond, President (954) 427 4672; www.marinesafetygroup.net

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Florida Bans Shark Feeding Dive Tours

Amelia Island, Florida
September 6, 2001

After two years of heated debate, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FFWCC) today dropped further consideration of proposed voluntary "guidelines" for shark feeding dive tours, and moved instead to proceed with the rulemaking process that would lead to a complete prohibition on the deliberate baiting or attraction of marine wildlife in all State marine waters for any purpose other than traditional fishing.

If finally approved (expected at the next meeting of the FFWCC), Florida would become the first state to enact such a ban, which is designed to protect both wildlife and people from risks associated with divers feeding sharks and other dangerous marine animals.

The Marine Safety Group, a south Florida non-profit public advocacy group that first brought this issue to the Commission's attention and subsequently led the two-year fight leading to today's decision, praised today's action as a victory for both the environment and public safety. In summary response to the Commission's decision, MSG President Bob Dimond said, "The FFWCC did the right thing today, despite intense pressure from a small but well-funded group seeking to maintain the status quo."

During the FFWCC public comment period preceding today's action, Dimond summed up the position of the coalition of environmental groups supporting the proposed ban: "The feeding of marine wildlife constitutes a wholly unjustifiable endangerment of wildlife, coastal ecosystems, and recreational users of our coastal waters. The message conveyed - that it's perfectly OK to feed, touch or ride marine wildlife, or to turn these wonderful creatures into trained circus performers for a fast buck - is directly contrary to the most fundamental of wildlife conservation messages - keep our wildlife and our wild places wild".

Today's decision comes on the heels of the worst U.S. shark attack weekend in recent history, which, despite efforts by scientists and government to ease public fears, was anything but "normal" with two killed and one seriously injured in two separate shark attacks along the southeastern U.S. coast. "While the Marine Safety Group does not maintain that there is evidence specifically linking any of the horrific shark attacks of this past summer to shark feeding tours, these tours clearly increase the public risk of such attack, said David Earp, MSG co-founder. "With more and more people sharing the water, these activities must stop."

Dr. Bill Alevizon, marine biologist, explained the link between shark feeding dives and public risk this way: "According to most experts, shark attack rates are directly proportional to the concentrations of sharks and humans occupying the water at the same time. That being the case, it follows that shark feeding dive operations increase risk of attack by (1) concentrating abnormally large numbers of sharks in comparatively small areas that are in many cases also heavily used by the public, and (2) methodically teaching these animals to associate people in the water with food."

Mr. Dimond had high praise and thanks for the many other environmental organizations that joined MSG in the two-year fight to enact the ban. These included: World Wildlife Fund, Caribbean Conservation Corporation, Defenders of Wildlife, Humane Society of the U.S., Reef Relief, Environmental Defense, Watchable Wildlife, Inc., and the Surfrider Foundation. "It has been a real team effort", Dimond said.

Copyright 2001. The Marine Safety Group, Inc. www.marinesafetygroup.org

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