Change.org Petition, Stop Shark Baiting

[MrChen]

[h=1]Stop Shark Baiting, increase the fines, increase protection into federal waters and punish offenders.[/h]
Petition by Florida Association of Diving Instructors

Although feeding fish has been banned in Florida waters since 2002, some tour operators are trying to skirt the regulations, resulting in charges being brought against four men accused of illegally feeding sharks and other fish within Florida’s territorial waters.




https://www.change.org/petitions/fl...tion-into-federal-waters-and-punish-offenders

 

[HalcyonDaze]

I will not be signing, for reasons stated in other threads. I am keeping an eye on this situation, but frankly I find this a hysterical reaction.

 

[MrChen]

This obviously has nothing to do with sb but does show that others outside sb are upset as well.

 

[HalcyonDaze]

Aside from my belief that this is not the safety/environmental issue it's made out to be, what troubles me is the intent to extend the ban to federal waters nationwide. That's not just going after the Emerald and Calypso - that puts every operator in the country who does feeds within 12 miles of the coast under the hammer. And how is it going to be defined? Is Captain Slate's critter feed down in Key Largo going to fall under this rule? Is any chumming going to be penalized, even if it's only to attract reef fish?

 

[MrChen]

/shrug, blame those which broke the law and laughed in the face of the penalty because it was good for business.

 

[jimw]

I signed MrChen, I said in the comments that I like seeing sharks in their environment but not in an extension of mine as in shark feeding dives. I'm not sure that there is a huge safety issue. But I know we are interfering with the sharks business in way too many ways. I prefer to be an interested observer of shark habitat! I do not support shark feeding any more than I support eating sharkfin soup!

 

[HalcyonDaze]

/shrug, blame those which broke the law and laughed in the face of the penalty because it was good for business.

I admit I haven't been tracking the progress of the case, but has it gone to court yet? That's the ultimate determination of whether or not the law was actually broken. From the way Randy and others tell it, they believed the site in question was about a quarter mile outside the line and last I checked they were going to make a case that they were not in fact inside the 3-mile limit. A judge will decide. As far as laughing at the penalty, I take this with a grain of salt but last weekend I heard scuttlebutt that said FWC was trying to recover the ~$30,000.00 cost of their "sting" on the Emerald on top of the fines. That's not chump change.

As far as equating shark feeding with eating sharkfin soup ... really? Gee, those are really equivalent in terms of ecological damage. One may or may not cause long-term changes in shark behavior, but does provide a much, much higher economic gain per shark than they would be worth if killed and sold at market. The other is a significant factor in the decimation of shark populations worldwide. Which do you think concerns me more?

And while we're on FWC's case, how about they start going after these yahoos who are landing hammerheads around the state? It?s illegal for anglers to land hammerheads in Florida. It?s time that media coverage pointed that out. | Southern Fried Science

 

[t4e]

Stop Shark Baiting, increase the fines, increase protection into federal waters and punish offenders.


Petition by Florida Association of Diving Instructors

Although feeding fish has been banned in Florida waters since 2002, some tour operators are trying to skirt the regulations, resulting in charges being brought against four men accused of illegally feeding sharks and other fish within Florida’s territorial waters.




https://www.change.org/petitions/fl...tion-into-federal-waters-and-punish-offenders

i'll sign it if you tell me how's the video related to the article

 

[jimw]

I didn't compare the 2 activities, you did! I simply said I was no more in favor of one than the other. We divers and others interfere in sharks lives far too much. That you cannot understand that should be no surprise since you promote shark feeding.

I admit I haven't been tracking the progress of the case, but has it gone to court yet? That's the ultimate determination of whether or not the law was actually broken. From the way Randy and others tell it, they believed the site in question was about a quarter mile outside the line and last I checked they were going to make a case that they were not in fact inside the 3-mile limit. A judge will decide. As far as laughing at the penalty, I take this with a grain of salt but last weekend I heard scuttlebutt that said FWC was trying to recover the ~$30,000.00 cost of their "sting" on the Emerald on top of the fines. That's not chump change.

As far as equating shark feeding with eating sharkfin soup ... really? Gee, those are really equivalent in terms of ecological damage. One may or may not cause long-term changes in shark behavior, but does provide a much, much higher economic gain per shark than they would be worth if killed and sold at market. The other is a significant factor in the decimation of shark populations worldwide. Which do you think concerns me more?

And while we're on FWC's case, how about they start going after these yahoos who are landing hammerheads around the state? It?s illegal for anglers to land hammerheads in Florida. It?s time that media coverage pointed that out. | Southern Fried Science

 

[HalcyonDaze]

I didn't compare the 2 activities, you did! I simply said I was no more in favor of one than the other. We divers and others interfere in sharks lives far too much. That you cannot understand that should be no surprise since you promote shark feeding.

I do not "promote" shark feeding; I have stated on several occasions that I have reservations about it (particularly in terms of the more "showboating" aspects) and that I would like to see some sort of study program aimed at determining if their behavior is indeed being affected in a way that is detrimental to the sharks or to the diving community. If evidence supports a negative impact then I'm all for banning feedings. What I've currently got is a lot of hyperbole.

What I am "against" is jumping to a knee-jerk conclusion that may have wide-ranging implications. This petition does not ask for the matter to be studied or for a rational evaluation of the risks and consequences of feeding dives; nor does it ask the opinion of marine biologists who have conducted such studies. Look at the list of organizations this petition is directed to. NOAA? Nope. Major research universities and laboratories such as UM, FIU, FAU, NSU, and Mote Marine Lab? Nope. It's addressed to the FWC (which is already enforcing a feeding ban in areas under its jurisdiction), the Florida State Senate and House (ditto), three dive insurance agencies (if they haven't been evaluating this matter already and adjusted their policies accordingly, I'd be shocked), and the US Congress (don't even get me started on that one). This petition is demanding action based on an unfounded conclusion. As a scientist, I am against that.

And I agree on the video ... I've seen it before. It's not from a Florida shark dive, and there is no "attack" in it. Pure bait-and-switch ... and not of sharks.