Bahamas
Bahamas still reviewing shark diving
The government in the Bahamas says it is still considering what steps it will take, if any, to regulate shark-diving boats after a tourist was killed last year.
The fatal attack occurred along a reef where the crew of a dive boat based in Florida chummed the water with bloody fish to draw in a number of sharks, and divers went into the water without a protective shark cage.
The South Florida Sun-Sentinel said Monday cage-free dives continue despite calls for a ban, and the Ministry of Tourism has yet to issue any regulations.
"I can assure you this is still under review," said ministry spokeswoman Anita Patty. "What you're talking about is changing policy. We will definitely stay on top of it."
Environmentalists and shark experts disagree about the wisdom of the dives and whether they educate visitors about sharks or are merely a money-maker for the Bahamian tourism industry.
Comments
Save the sharks from operators like Jimmy Abernathy who still operates without cages and chum in the same waters Markus Groh was killed in.
This was no accident!
How can he return to the scene of the crime year after year and continue to make money?
Has he no shame?
It has been proven with the death of Markus Groh that cages with tigers and bull sharks is a good idea.Operators may have a good run of luck but all it takes is one attack.
The real disservice is to the animals after the diver is bitten and or killed in a non caged and baited situation and to tourism Bahamas who are left with the negative media.
Non caged encounters with big predators are not bound by any real safety protocols if the sharks want to bite you they will. Those seeking to interact with these animals driven by ego in many cases trying to out do the other guy.
A quick look at You Tube will show you what I am talking about. Do a search for Tiger Beach, Bahamas.
How can you say that cageless, night diving with baited tigers is anything but insane?
The myth that sharks are dangerous is one thing, literally begging for a predatory disaster is another.
These stunts are done for the extreme thrill, not for science, not for a better understanding of these animals.
Do not subscribe to the notion that presenting ones unprotected flesh to big predators successfully is dispelling any myths about sharks. It's a fools bet to suggest this.
Appalachian Snake Handlers do the same thing year after year and many die from the snake bites they receive.
A cage system gives at least the premise of safety at a dive site.
Scuba divers want to be able to dive with sharks, it is one of THE big animal attractions in diving in many parts of the world. Yes, it is a money-maker but it is also both educational and a conservation plus. The various operators in the Bahamas currently do an excellent job of both showing the sharks as animals in the wild and that they do not hunt for humans to bite.
Putting divers in cages for shark dives perpetuates the myth about the danger of all sharks. This does a major disservice to shark conservation. Water chummed with fish waste attracts in more animals for the feed, but swimming in the same area at other times with the few sharks that might be about the sharks are shy and they do not approach divers.
Putting more restrictions on shark dives is likely to be contra productive both for shark conservation and for tourism in my experience as a Bahamas visitor, diver and conservationist. The Bahamas currently have regulations about right.
Charles Stirling, PhD.
Post new comment