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Feeding bears at Jellystone has resulted in the death of people, damage to property, and the destruction of countless animals. In Alaska, it is strictly illegal to feed Moose, Legislation written after a couple people got stomped to death. Moose dont seem to be able to grasp the concept that there is no more food available, and they get pissed and aggressive. Why anyone ever thought it was a good idea to feed moose, bears or sharks is what s really difficult to grasp! Ride the Ferry from Seattle to Bremerton, and watch the idiots feed the seagulls, and then watch them scream when they get shit on by the flock that has been attracted. Ask shepherds what they think of the idea that someone start "Coyote Encounter Tours" in Montana. You know, take a bunch of city folk out in a truck, and chum the coyotes in with lamb and squealing rabbit recordings, so that the city folks can have the opportunity to "interact" with a coyote. This way, people can see that coyotes are not to be feared, should not be destroyed by Animal Damage Control Division of the BLM, and are really quite cute. Sounds like an extremely stupid idea because it is. Same with "shark feeding". The only reason anyone thinks its a good idea is because there are a few dive operators making a good living off the act. I agree with a previous poster that the legislation passed because of the level of exposure the media has provided to the shark attacks (more of that wonderful American phenomenon known as Reactive Legislation, AKA Bullshit Legislation). Nothing more than a pacifier. I doubt very seriously there is the smallest decimal of a percentage correlation between shark feeding and the attacks, but Reactive Legislation is never based on facts, only emotion. But, this is the way it goes. People do stupid things because they make money doing it, and wont see the bare bones truth just past their wallet. The situation escalates, mutates, Reactive Legislation is almost always the outcome. Wont be long, if IANTDI have their way, us divers are going to get hit with Reactive Legislation worse than we already have. Anyone with a clue knows that air/nitrox mixes are perhaps the least suitable gasses to breath while diving. However, it is already becoming a pain in the ass to get helium and O2 in certain parts of the country. If you let the vendor know you are mixing in your garage, they go apoplectic. Never mind that air, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink gear configs and egomaniacal morons teaching blind stupidity keep stacking up the stiffs and statistics, mixing gas in your garage without the proper IANTDI "credentials" is dangerous! To me it's no mystery at all. Feeding any wild animal is a basically stupid idea (we have all done it) and doing it on a commercial level is beyond stupid. So, there is supposed to be some kind of surprise, shock or outrage that they are officially legislated out of stupidity and business? It's as inevitable as the sunrise. Scott >From: Joel Markwell <joeldm@mi*.co*> >To: <hphobbie@at*.ne*>, Techdiver <techdiver@aquanaut.com> >Subject: Re: Florida panel bans shark feeding >Date: Sat, 08 Sep 2001 16:48:30 +0000 >On 9/8/01 4:45 PM, "Preston Hobbie" <hphobbie@at*.ne*> wrote: > > > ..... she's a witch! ... > >The reality is that no one knows why there seems to be a lot of shark >attacks this year. Stats seem to suggest that there are no more attacks >this >year than the average, just more media, perhaps. But that doesn�t negate >the >fact that feeding wild animals is a bad idea. Florida banned feeding >alligators a long time ago and yet there is no one out there complaining >about it because there isn't anyone making a buck taking tourists on "gator >feeds." Gator wrestlers do so within the confines of a pen with captive >alligators. > >The national parks banned feeding of bears and in both cases it was to >prevent the association by these wild animals with humans as a source of >food. Why should sharks be the exception? Do any parks anywhere encourage >or >even allow people to feed animals in any but very controlled situations >such >as a petting zoos? Feeding wild animals is a stupid idea. And then >suggesting that divers are "learning" anything from these feeds is even >stupider. There is nothing natural about the way a shark behaves at a feed. >If you want to teach divers about sharks, there are plenty of places to see >sharks in their natural habitats behaving normally without pouring fish >heads and blood into the water. What an idiotic practice! > >I've been in the water with fed and unfed sharks and they behave very >differently. The fed sharks are MUCH more aggressive towards humans, I've >been bumped and charged by these fed sharks close to feeding sites and they >won't leave you alone. Wild sharks are for the most part wary of divers and >while they will check you out, they don't hang around to be petted, like >you >can a fed shark. Who is to say that this behavior doesn't translate to >their >behavior towards swimming and surfing humans? Many sharks are known to have >a wide range of travel. And even the simplest life forms on earth can be >taught to associate certain conditions with food. The fact is that no one >knows for sure one way or another. > >These Florida officials are simply reacting to a public relations nightmare >and doing the only thing they could rationally do: end a bad and >potentially >dangerous practice with no advantages to anyone except the very few >operators who engage in this as a profitable attraction. And let's call it >what it really is, it's a thrill ride. > >They'll just have to earn a living like other dive operators do, taking >divers to good divesites. And if they know where sharks are, they can take >them there too and then maybe their customers really can learn something >real about the shark other than that they get aggressive when there's blood >and food floating about in the water. > > . . . Or maybe they can take up 'gator wrestling. > >JoeL _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp -- Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
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