[Coral-List] Shark Feeding Question

Fri Feb 14 11:45:18 EST 2014

Ironically, the 2 most recent fatal shark encounters in Florida (back in the early 2000s) , one on the east coast and one in the Panhandle, occurred as a result of chumming for the purpose of catching fish. Which is allowed under current regulations.  In both cases, the victims (both minors), were swimming right on the chum blood slick. Obviously the shark was not at fault here, but some idiot parent who allowed his child  to swim at the chumming site.
Just a way to illustrate that idiocy is often at odds with regulations. 

Sarah Frias-Torres, Ph.D. Coordinator Reef Rescuers ProgramIsland Conservation Centre Nature Seychelles,Amitie, Praslin, Seychelleshttp://www.natureseychelles.org-and-Research CollaboratorSmithsonian-National Museum of Natural Historyat Smithsonian Marine Station, Fort Pierce, FL, USATwitter: @GrouperDocBlog: http://grouperluna.wordpress.comhttp://independent..academia.edu/SarahFriasTorres

> Date: Fri, 14 Feb 2014 10:27:14 -0500
> From: nancy.diersing at noaa.gov
> To: CDelbeek at calacademy.org
> CC: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> Subject: Re: [Coral-List] Shark Feeding Question
> 
> *Everyone:  FYI--*
> 
> *Here are the regulations from Florida's Fish and Wildlife Conservation
> Commission regarding fish feeding by snorkelers and divers in the state
> waters of Florida.
> **http://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/feeding-fish/
> <http://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/feeding-fish/>*
> 
> *Regulations for Feeding Fish, Shark, or other Marine Species*
> 
> Feeding fish, sharks, or other marine species while diving or snorkeling is
> prohibited. It is also prohibited to operate a boat that is hired to carry
> passengers to any area within state waters to feed marine species or view
> marine species feeding. These regulations were developed because of
> concerns about the
> 
>    - safety of divers, surfers, and swimmers
>    - feeding of marine species in multiple-use areas, and
>    - effects of concentrating and training sharks to associate humans with
>    food
> 
> "Chumming" or feeding fish for the purpose of harvesting marine species as
> otherwise allowed by FWC rules is permitted.
> 
> 
> On Thu, Feb 13, 2014 at 12:27 PM, Delbeek, Charles
> <CDelbeek at calacademy.org>wrote:
> 
> > I would think it depends on the context under which the feeding is taking
> > place. For example, feeding hotdogs or trout chow to reef fish would be
> > different to feeding natural prey items to sharks.
> >
> > On Oahu, The Hanauma Bay marine preserve used to allow feeding of fish,
> > eventually since most people were feeding bread they began to actively sell
> > packets of pellet food for this purpose. As a result large more aggressive
> > fishes began to displace the smaller, less aggressive ones. I think there
> > was also an impact on algal growth in the inner part of the bay but I may
> > be making that up. Someone more familiar with the history of this can
> > correct me if I am wrong. Once the feeding was banned the fish assemblage
> > eventually returned to a more "normal" balance of species.
> >
> > J. Charles Delbeek, M.Sc.
> > Assistant Curator, Steinhart Aquarium
> > California Academy of Sciences
> >
> > Desk: 415.379.5303
> > Cell: 415.859.0420
> > Fax: 415.379.5304
> >
> > cdelbeek at calacademy.org
> > www.calacademy.org
> >
> > 55 Music Concourse Dr.
> > Golden Gate Park
> > San Francisco CA 94118
> >
> > What you can't see will amaze you.  Dark Universe, a new planetarium show,
> > now playing at the California Academy of Sciences.
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov [mailto:
> > coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov] On Behalf Of Steve Mussman
> > Sent: Thursday, February 13, 2014 8:41 AM
> > To: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> > Subject: [Coral-List] Shark Feeding Question
> >
> >
> >    It seems to me that there is a clear understanding that in general
> > feeding
> >    animals in the wild is considered bad form.
> >    That said, why is it that shark feedings and the growing popularity of
> >    staged shark interactions seem to be viewed as (almost) being
> > sanctioned by
> >    a number of papers that conclude that there is no evidence that
> > provisioning
> >    has any measureable (detrimental) impacts on the sharks involved,
> > adjacent
> >    communities and ecosystems?  In fact it is often suggested that
> > long-term
> >    monitoring  of sharks and other marine life at provisioning sites will
> >    likely provide much needed temporal data that will benefit apex-predator
> >    conservation efforts and protected area management strategies.
> >
> >
> >    Are we therefore wrong to simply assume that in general feeding animals
> > (and
> >    physically interacting in such ways) in the wild is to be discouraged?
> > Are
> >    aquatic animal interactions somehow innately different from terrestrial
> >    encounters? Is it best to only make species-specific assumptions on the
> >    appropriateness  of such activities? For example, is food provisioning
> >    (following  accepted  protocols  in areas where it is allowed) somehow
> >    considered acceptable for sharks, but not for other marine animals?
> >
> >
> >    Finally, I have found a few papers on the impacts of provisioning on
> > sharks,
> >    but  none on other aquatic species. Can anyone direct me to additional
> >    studies that could help shed some light on the broader issues involved?
> >
> >
> >    Thanks,
> >
> >     Steve
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> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Nancy G. Diersing
> Science Interpreter
> Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
> (305) 852-7717 x26
> 
> http://floridakeys.noaa.gov
> http://www.facebook.com/floridakeysnoaagov
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