Bill would ban federal-water shark feeding

A congressional bill that seeks to ban shark-feeding shows in federal waters, including the Florida Keys, sharply divides many in the diving community.

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) in June added the feeding-ban language to Senate Bill 3099, the Access for Sportfishing Act of 2016.

The bill, yet to be approved, includes language that would make it illegal in federal water to “engage in shark feeding; or to operate a vessel for the purpose of carrying a passenger for hire to any site to engage in shark feeding or to observe shark feeding.”

The bill specifies that using chum or bait to attract sharks for harvest would not be prohibited.

“When people feed sharks, it can change their behavior and cause them to start associating people with food,” a spokesman for Nelson told the Sun-Sentinel in August. “This puts divers at risk.”

In October, the Diving Equipment and and Marketing Association, the industry’s largest trade group, came out against the bill. DEMA says the concern about sharks associating divers with food is “erroneous.”

“The bill unnecessarily eliminates the opportunity for thousands of divers each year to actively and safely engage in observing sharks and prevents divers from gaining a better understanding of this creature,” says the DEMA statement.

Spencer Slate of Capt. Slate’s Underwater Adventures in Key Largo has conducted his “Creature Features” underwater feeding shows off Key Largo for nearly four decades. Those shows can attract nurse sharks, in addition to barracuda, moray eels and other reef fish.

“We promote care and concern for all these animals,” Slate said Tuesday. “Divers can get up close and personal so they know they don’t have to kill a shark or barracuda. That’s all I’m after. People never forget the experience.”

“I’m totally and unequivocally opposed to this bill,” Slate said. “It’s ridiculous to say you can chum to kill a shark, but not to show people they don’t have to be scared of sharks — which are on every single reef out there.”

Another scuba operation advertises “Keys Shark Diving” out of Key West. Its operators could not be reached at press time.

John Russell, founder of the Florida Association of Diving Instructors, strongly endorses the feeding ban.

“The truth is that feeding or baiting sharks is inauthentic, unsustainable and just not good conservation,” Russell said.

“These people say feeding sharks doesn’t condition them. That’s not true,” Russell said. “Animals have two thoughts: ‘Are you food?’ and ‘Yikes!’ Feeding them turns ‘yikes’ into ‘food.’ ”

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission banned fish-feeding shows in state water in 2002, citing concern that oceanic predators could come to associate people with feeding.

While guides who feed sharks and other species occasionally are injured, Slate and DEMA contend injuries to diving spectators are rare to non-existent. “No one’s been hurt,” Slate said.

The S. 3099 bill originally was introduced to limit national parks from imposing fishing rules on waters inside state jurisdiction. A planned marine reserve inside Biscayne National Park spurred introduction of the bill, which has yet to receive passage.

This story was originally published November 2, 2016 at 9:32 AM with the headline "Bill would ban federal-water shark feeding."