Lions, tigers and sharks — Oh my...Gary E - Rescue / College profApril 3, 2008 at 07:56:31I am amazed that divers, dive industry organzations as well as national authorities in the caribbean continue to allow and promote shark feeding for the purposes of
tourism - in setting up encounters with sharks in open water. This is another example of how the accrediting agencies, mostly PADI, promote the uncomfortable paradox of safety, environmental responsibility and marketing. The upside of course is that shark education and proper public information encourages understanding and appreciation for these wonderful creatures. Yet, the fact that humans are not the natural choice for sharks as food is now being manipulated into
a justification for shark feeding is somehow a "good thing" in order to better protect them as a species, and for no other reason than greed. There are no circumstances where any other entity charged with the safety of tourist participants would allow this kind of intrusion into the natural world, or promote this kind of environment interference with the natural order. Can you imagine Yellowstone promoting the "controlled feeding" of
black bears for human encounters? Can anyone imagine the controlled feeding of polar bears in the Arctic, or lions in northern Tanzania as a way of establishing a market for "eco-tourism'?
The whole idea would be viewed as absurd and likely criminal. Everyone agrees that human interaction in the feeding habits of predatory animals only encourages modified behaviour in those creature's interactions in the local environment. NO ONE has done sufficient research to understand the effects of shark feeding on shark behaviour patterns. In every other instance, including both black bears and polar bears, the feeding of the animals results in increased attacks on humans.
Indeed, there are more shark attacks on humans world wide than there are black bear, polar bear and lion attacks on humans combined, yet, we are told that sharks are not dangerous to humans. The fact that PADI, which is an organization that has recently lowered standards on many levels, promotes shark diving as part of it's uneasy alliance with desitnation toursim and equipment manufacturer's is particularly dissapointing. They should know better.
The best way to promote the appreciation respect for sharks is obviously to leave them alone. | 
