The great fish feeding question

[Rick Murchison]

This question comes up over and over, with passionate advocates on all sides of it. It has most recently surfaced in a thread on the Blackbeards Cruises' "Shark Dive."
Here are the basic questions: Is it ethical and ecologically sound to feed the fish in general, and specifically is it ethical to feed sharks in particular? Are there circumstances that make feeding particularly bad, or on the other hand circumstances where the benefit of feeding outweighs not feeding?
The floor's open...
Rick

 

[Vie]

Here are the basic questions: Is it ethical and ecologically sound to feed the fish in general, and specifically is it ethical to feed sharks in particular? Are there circumstances that make feeding particularly bad, or on the other hand circumstances where the benefit of feeding outweighs not feeding?

I really can’t think of a circumstance where “the benefit of feeding outweighs not feeding.” I am in no position to decide whether feeding is ethical, but the activity of feeding disrupt the fish’s natural pattern of behaviour and interferes with their normal feeding habit(s), so IMHO feeding fish/sharks is definitely ecologically questionable.

There is also the small possibility of a diver suffering some kind of injuries (bites, cuts) from the sharks being fed. This sometimes just contributes to the media’s generally sensational and negative portrayal of sharks and reinforces the wrong impression in the public’s mind. We are privileged to be able to enter the sharks’ environment and observe them—they deserve our respect and protection; treating them like hungry pigeons in a park may just do them more harm than good in the long run.

 

[O2BBubbleFree]

I think this issue is similar to the zoo/aquarium debates. I think that public education is important to stop wholesale slaughter and polution. Shark feedings should help offset the 'man-eater' mindset.

While I see where Vie is coming from, I disagree with him on one point:

//snip//This sometimes just contributes to the media’s generally sensational and negative portrayal of sharks and reinforces the wrong impression in the public’s mind.//snip//

From what I've seen the media tends to sensationalize sharks as 'mankillers in a feeding frenzy', and the programs that I have seen with divers feeding sharks tend to help offset that image somewhat.

 

[Tamas]

I am with you on this 3dent, these shark feeding rituals are a good way to introduce people to the sharks, to educate them on the species and to somehow, through, this hands-on education urge people to protect them.

I have always been fascinated by sharks, but after having this close up encounter with them I am even more in *love* with them then I was before. I was totally taken with the beauty and majesty of these animals knowing that I was not on the menu but the fish were and to know that they were just a curious as we were of them.

Granted, the sharks learned to associate the sound of the dingy with food, but that is food they would be eating anyways, this way it served to them on a silver platter (spear) with the notion on mind that the 22 people watching them from 30' will be that much more aware of the existence of them and taken by their beauty. Call it a dinner and show with education in mind. The more educated the people get the better they can appreciate the underwater world and stop all the nasty things that we doing to the oceans/lakes/rivers.

 

[TwoTanks]

That is quite a question.

Ecologically, I have no idea and wouldn't even care to guess.

The only circumstances I can see, where the benefit of feeding outweighs not feeding would be for the dive operations running the shark dives. I think that they probably get a lot of business from these attractions. I also think that they have a right to make a living.

My next thought is that Stingray City in Grand Cayman and the Manta Ray night dives in Kona both became dive attractions because of unintentional feeding of the respective populations. Are these dive attractions ecologically harmful? I don't think so, and they attract a lot of divers and snorkelers. I believe that the ecological awareness that they bring to the general public outweighs any harm the feeding caused.

The media is always going to make sharks look dangerous and scary. They can be dangerous and scary. That sells papers and gets viewers.

The only real problem I have with shark feeding is that some people will probably want to try it on their own and end up hurt or worse. That's what darwin awards are for.

just my opinion

By the way, I plan to do a shark dive some day.

TT

 

[Rick Inman]

It's OK to feed the fish - as long as there's a hook in the bait!

 

[miketsp]

The problem arises when something with big teeth starts to associate the diver with food & habits once formed are hard to break.
Then the diver without food to offer gets put in risk.

 

[mxracer19]

Do you think its that horrible to feed the ducks at your local pond?

these are FISH we're talkin about for cryin out loud! people have fun feeding fish, and fish get a decent meal. everyones happy. And ANYWAYS...chances are that little fish you just fed will probobly get eaten later that day, so don't feel bad about it...he had a decent last meal.

 

[H2Andy]

well... ducks are not wild creatures, more like semi-domesticated, and if they
associate humans and food, they won't peck you to death

i believe that we should not interfere with a wild animal's behaviour lightly.

 

[kent_1848]

The problem arises when something with big teeth starts to associate the diver with food & habits once formed are hard to break.
Then the diver without food to offer gets put in risk.

That's was my line of thinking as well before I went on a shark dive. However, I have only been on one shark dive, and I must say that most people are not going to be able to just "happen across" where this shark dive took place (as I said I have only been on one, so I can't speak for all of them). We were miles off shore, and not somewhere I would just think "Hey lets dive here". Also, I think the sharks can smell the fish. As soon as there was no fish left to smell, they all left. Dogs associate people with food, but they aren't attacking those people without food, at least not for that reason. I think maybe people aren't giving sharks enough credit here.