Change.org Petition, Stop Shark Baiting

[wspalding]

In the many, many years and various locales that have done shark feeds, I can only recall one fatality and a handful of bites. Given that any encounter with sharks can be problematic, I think the safety record speaks for itself. Let's be realistic that diving is intrinsically dangerous. You endanger yourself every time you descend, so there is no way to make diving completely risk free. Why then should we expect risk free when we introduce apex predators? Most of the videos of divers being harassed are of spear fishermen. Should we stop all spear fishing because they seem to have the preponderance of negative shark encounters? Like diving, it's a risk accepted by those who participate in the sport.

Good point, I phrased my question (and my caveat) poorly. The question was not about avoiding all risk as that is impossible and is present on every dive regardless of shark feeds. I was really trying to ask about incremental risk, particularly to those not participating in the shark feeding dives. I still (kinda) want to do a dive with Randy once I get my own phobias about having tiger sharks in my face squared away.

 

[OkByMe]

In just about any endeavor, whether it be business, social purview or discourse, politics and science, you put your money where your mouth is. You have to assume risk in order to "buy in" to the position. Running around, running your mouth without one bit of evidence may fool some people, but then some people are easily fooled. What difference does it make whether or not sharks are fed? What difference does it make to the non-diving community? The "shaky legs" in this country are always ready to make up some law, rule or regulation to control the actions and freedom of others. I feel like like puppet on a string already with the thousands of governmental, "chicken little" tendrils attached to my limbs, some of which are pulling in different directions. I think we aught to fund a review of all laws in this country to the extent that if valid scientific evidence to to support it cannot be found, it should be removed from the books. That way any charlatan who speaks to it will be quickly dismissed.

 

[HalcyonDaze]

That was one of the reasons I was uneasy about the "instructors should run the scuba industry in Florida" statement. This December I will mark my 12th full year as a diver and am on pace to make my 500th dive this summer. At the same time I will mark 11 years as a working science diver. In that time the only advanced certifications I've acquired from recreational agencies have been AOW and nitrox. As stated earlier, I've gotten pooh-poohed by a PADI instructor for not having enough cert cards in my wallet and in that instance I got paired up with an instructor trainee whose inexperience and insistence on doing things "by the book" put me more at risk on a 25-foot checkout dive than one of Randy's feeding dives ever has.

Back on topic, the make-or-break determination for me on whether feeding should be banned is if it causes sharks to harass divers not on these feeds. If other divers on the Jupiter wreck trek start having tiger sharks nosing up to them, we have a problem. As far as the elevated risk of a shark bite to Randy and his patrons, I view it with the same eye as cave diving or backyard fireworks - the responsibility is on the individual participant to evaluate and accept the risk.


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[Murfdizzle21]

oh by the way a petition to repeal the shark feeding law.

https://www.change.org/petitions/fl...fla-admin-reg-68b-5-005-the-shark-feeding-law

 

[The Chairman]

Do we need a study to scientifically validate racial equality laws for example?

Environmental law? Yes. Other laws? Not so much. Laws always reflect cultural mores as they should. That they evolve shows that our ethics also evolve.

 

[HalcyonDaze]

Cultural morays?


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[scubadada]

Cultural morays?


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I thought that was pretty funny too. I generally see only Green, Spotted, and Golden

 

[HalcyonDaze]

I thought that was pretty funny too. I generally see only Green, Spotted, and Golden

They're too refined to be seen with the likes of us.


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[The Chairman]

I'm certain I have no idea of what you're talking about.

 

[sportxlh]

Cultural morays?


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I think I saw one of those today in Jupiter: he started to come out from under the ledge to greet us but when he got a good look at our little rift-raft & rag-tag group of divers, he scooted right back under his ledge and ignored us as he slowly opened and closed his mouth in a very dismissive manner. He probably thought that dolphins are much better company to keep.

Opps, I thought you said cultured morays.