Safe Waters For Hawaii - Stealing quotes for toxic agendas

We have been following the ongoing battle in Hawaii to preserve two well known and first rate commercial shark diving companies from becoming casualties in what quickly devolved into a political witch hunt.

Both operations represent 40,000 shark tourism seekers each year to Oahu's North Shore and have been operating for close to a decade without incident.

A toxic campaign propagating the "fear of sharks" was developed by Rep Gene Wards offices early on when the issue of shark diving in inappropriate areas of Hawaii came to a head.

The website Safe Waters For Hawaii is the outreach communication vehicle for that campaign. The website was designed by staff members from Rep. Gene Wards office and features a series of affiliations and quotes taken from the Internet and from organizations who are now disavowing any involvement with Safe Waters For Hawaii.

One of these is the well known and respected International Ecotourism Society based in Washington DC. This is the quote Safe Waters For Hawaii lifted from their website without permission and without their knowledge:

"Do not touch living marine life such as coral and marine animals. Never harass aquatic animals. Do not feed marine animals."

International Ecotourism Society

What staff members from Rep Gene Wards offices failed to do was fact check affiliations on the Safe Water For Hawaii website and even ask permission to use quotes from many of the organizations listed.

The International Ecotourism Society website is in fact pro shark diving and pro Hawaii shark diving as seen in this summers news release. This news release was seen by many in the global $300 million dollar shark tourism industry - someone in Rep.Gene Wards offices seemed to have missed it either intentionally or by sloppy oversight.

TIES international membership base include Hawaii Shark Encounters.

The Good News

Rep.Gene Ward is a savvy politician. He is also a politician who understands the value of tourism in Hawaii and is now seeking sustainable solutions for both operations on Oahu. Unfortunately the website Safe Waters For Hawaii is still attached to his offices via staff members and remains a poor example of community outreach and of base fear mongering that serves little purpose beyond dividing communities and fostering deep seated anger between groups.

We have contacted the following organizations this week and they have asked Safe Waters For Hawaii to rescind their names and quotes on the SWFH website:

International Ecotourism Society
United Nations Environment Program (UNEP)

Rep.Gene Ward might consider taking down Safe Waters For Hawaii in a good faith effort to move the conversation forward to safe and sustainable solutions to commercial shark diving in Hawaii. This website does not reflect his values, his offices values, or the values of many quoted here without their knowledge.

Let's begin to rebuild community trust and good will by removing fear, misquotes, and hate from the conversation of sustainable commercial shark diving in Hawaii.

Shark Diving Under Siege - Hawaii

We have been actively following the growing anti-shark diving effort(s) on the island of Oahu.

Sparked by a disastrous attempt by a nascent operator to force commercial shark diving in the Hawaii Kai neighbourhood - the blow back has grown into a grassroots anti industry movement with sponsors in government.

In May a new anti shark diving website surfaced on the Internet highlighting many of the themes this blog has covered in the past year.

Safe Waters For Hawaii

Citing the Cyber Diver Network, a virulently anti shark diving website, this new endeavor seemingly legitimises the anti shark diving movement in Hawaii.

Media and More Media

The operators in Hawaii are now in a fight they never wanted or asked for. This fight will be won or lost in the media. As this blog has covered time and again, your operations media is all too important when it comes to the anti shark diving movement. Videos on You Tube and elsewhere can and will be used against your operation by these groups - as we are seeing with Safe Waters Hawaii.

The platform this site puts forward is illegal chumming. Without a doubt all operations in Hawaii have been caught "red handed" and should address and defuse this issue now. The public can be won or lost with a strong and sustained media campaign that is pro Hawaii, pro business and pro shark.

Allowing sites like Safe Waters For Hawaii free reign to set the tone of the discussion and to cite the Cyber Diver Network as a "definitive source" without mounting effective media countermeasures is a disaster in the making.

Side Note

Safe Sharks For Hawaii's url was registered in Europe and is set to private so you cannot tell who is behind the site.

Hawaii Sharks Are Sacred - Unless You Kill Them

Quote of the month from a politician on Maui:

"Councilwoman Jo Anne Johnson says the bill is a sign of respect for Native Hawaiians who consider sharks to be sacred."

-Maui council OKs shark-tour ban

Far too many politicians in Hawaii have jumped on a recent fear based anti-shark diving campaign and begun regurgitating spoon fed and completely inane talking points to whoever will listen. Revealing in the process how little they understand what goes on in the waters of Hawaii.

Councilwoman Jo Anne Johnson is a classic example of this.

Meanwhile the commercial shark diving industry on Oahu and around the world is acutely aware of a loop hole that allows hundreds of thousands of sharks fin to be landed in Hawaii, dried and processed in Hawaii, and then shipped out of Hawaii to waiting consumers in Asia.

In most cases these "fresh overseas fins" are in fact taken just outside Hawaiian waters. In some cases within Hawaiian waters.

Hawaii sharks are sacred to Hawaiians according to the councilwoman - unless you want to capture them, cut the fins off live animals and then dump them into the pristine waters surrounding Hawaii.

That's called business.

Let's stop the outright hypocrisy. Sharks tourism is good for Hawaii, it does not cause shark attacks, and banning shark tourism is both shortsighted and harmful to the Hawaii's broader economy.

That is unless you happen to be in the shark fin business. The loopholes in that business are making a few non native residents a killing these days...for as long as the sharks last that is.

Hawaii shark diving - Strange twist

Strange news coming from Hawaii and the battle over commercial shark diving. The announcement of a new shark show featuring Hawaii Shark Diving.

Is this new shark series the right time to feature out-of-cage encounters with sharks given the shear amount of negative press being levied against operators here?

"Hell's Kitchen" producer A. Smith and Co. is swimming with sharks for its next series.

The company is developing the project "Shark Boat," which revolves around the only company in America that allows people to free dive with sharks.

Docu-series is set inside Hawaii Shark Encounters, run by world-class free diver Stefanie Brendl. Show will focus on the struggles that Brendl and her staff face as they attempt to stay in business following the death of her boyfriend and business partner.

Brendl and Jimmy Hall launched Hawaii Shark Encounters in 2002; Hall, a Discovery Channel personality, died in May 2007 after a base jumping accident.

Show would follow Brendl as she takes divers outside of the cage to swim with sharks, as well as the interaction among her staff.

Hawaii Shark Encounters (which operates at least three miles off Hawaii shores) and another company have received scrutiny from some Hawaii lawmakers, who have expressed concern that the companies feed the sharks in order to attract them -- something the companies have denied.

According to the Honolulu Advertiser, a recent study by Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology researchers also said the shark-cage dive tours pose little risk to public safety.

A. Smith founder Arthur Smith will exec produce with Kent Weed; Frank Sinton is also an EP. A. Smith's other credits include "Kitchen Nightmares" and "I Survived a Japanese Game Show," as well as next month's "Crash Course."

Complete Post

Movement to shut down shark tours in Hawaii grows

What began as a terribly executed commercial cage diving roll out in Hawaii just a few months ago has devolved into a government sanctioned witch hunt...with no end in sight.

We have been tracking ongoing developments in Hawaii as they happen.

Hawaii shark diving operators now find themselves with an active opposition, on the wrong side of an obscure fisheries law, and facing an anti-shark diving champion in government.

What brought this negative tide was a skillful use of media by the anti-shark diving folks and a puzzling and very damaging media silence from the operators.

There's still time for the operators to roll out a sustained media campaign based on Shark Diving=Tourism=Economy. As each day goes by articles like this recent AP report just add fuel to the anti-shark diving lobby and seal the fate for the existing operators to the will of local and regional governments. Action taken early in an unfolding disaster can and will mitigate problems down the line.

The media tends to follow the story, that story can be shaped by either side of an issue but someone has to lead it. As each anti-shark diving lobby piece comes in two pro shark diving articles must go out. This issue, as far as politicians are concerned, revolves around who has the most votes.

The loss of Hawaii would be a blow to the industry in the western hemisphere. Already new rules and regulations for the Farallones now require divers, cages and vessels to be 140' away from white sharks at all times. Florida remains shut down to commercial shark diving after a 2001 decision there.

HALEIWA, Hawaii (AP) — Three women donned scuba masks and jumped into the waters off Oahu's North Shore, floating inside a submerged cage as about a dozen sharks glided toward bloody fish scraps tossed into the water by a tour company.

Tourist Kim Duniec said the experience of coming eye-to-eye with sharks was exhilarating. "Their eyes were scary, but they were still graceful, absolutely beautiful," the Beaver Dam, Wis., woman said.

Shark tours like this have become a popular visitor attraction in Hawaii, but a movement is gaining momentum to shut them down.

Some Native Hawaiians consider sharks to be ancestral gods and view feeding them for entertainment to be disrespectful of their culture. Surfers and environmentalists fear the tours will teach sharks to associate people with food — leading to an increase in attacks — while disrupting the ocean's ecological balance. Federal fisheries regulators, meanwhile, are investigating the tours on the grounds that they are illegally feeding sharks.

The anti-shark tour movement ignited when residents noticed a large metal cage mounted on a boat at a marina in front of a popular Hawaii Kai restaurant in March. They remembered Oahu's two shark tours used similar contraptions on the North Shore. The location of the tours helped fuel the opposition — Hawaii Kai is an affluent bedroom community on the other side of Oahu.

Full Story

Hawaii Shark Fin Bill - Update

We just got a recent update from Stefanie Brendl of Shark Allies today.

Her efforts in Hawaii are a prime example of how boots on the ground efforts can help shark conservation regionally. Her teams efforts to change the laws regarding legal shark fin operators in Hawaii are an encouragement to the industry.

We recently had a conservation with someone who thinks it is "o.k" to support commercial shark take and fining in New Zealand. Efforts like Stefanies and the overwhelming support she has garnered from the shark dive industry show that this activity is never "o.k" in any form:

From Stefani:

We were able to get bill through two committees in the Senate and the Senate vote. Then it travelled over to the House, where it was referred to 3 committees. Since this is a short session, committing a bill to 3 is a clear indication that they wanted it killed. It was nearly impossible with the time constraints, to get it through in time. But we did.

The bill was struck down in the last committee, House Judiciary. Everyone thought it was dead. We didn't give up and put pressure on the committee chair and co-chair to bring it back to hearing. This is when the Hawaiian community finally started to get involved.

With great reluctance from chair Karamatsu we were able to bring it back and it was passed out of committee just in the nick of time. It also passed the House floor vote. Mostly because it the bill has a defective date and is therefore forced into committee (see explanation below).

The first conference committee didn't go well. It is apparent that there are a few strong members in the house that are actively fighting to kill this bill. We have been able to address all the opposing groups, including researchers and fisheries. What is left is the fact that people want to continue to eat shark fin soup. There may also be some commercial fishermen that are still lobbying to keep a market for shark fins, but we are not sure.

All we know is that despite the overwhelming evidence and support for this bill, there is a strong group pulling the strings to stop it. And they are not coming out in the open. They are operating in the background of the legislature, influencing key members.


I have been mobilizing the forces with the help of a list of shark organizations, Wild Aid, Mission Blue etc . And we are currently looking to get Chinese support and voices to speak out on the issue as possible. Locally and internationally. Getting lots of letters from Hong Kong and West Coast organizations in support, as well as celebrities.

Right now it really comes down to showing everyone that not all Chinese want to eat shark fin soup anymore. That it is not a cultural attack. It is a question of sustainability.

We are also planning a big press conference on Sunday, and hope to have the Royal order of Kamehamea there to express the view point of the Hawaiian community.

In a few hours we have the 2nd conference meeting. So I have to run.

Here is a link to the bill and it’s status. If you click on the pdf version, you can download the actual bill.

A note to the “Defective Date” at the end of the bill:

This defective date was added by the Senate Judiciary Committee. The committee chair felt that the current version of the bill was not ready to become law; therefore a defective date was added to give more time for discussion. This also allowed for the bill to stay alive and to continue traveling on its course through the Senate and House. It also forced the bill into “conference”, meaning that after all committees have had hearings and added amendments, representatives from both sides (Senate and House) have to come together to discuss a final version that everyone can agree on. Only then can the defective date be removed.

The ongoing battle:

Shark organizations, activists, celebrities, business leaders and leading marine scientists from all over the world have been actively lending their support through hundreds of letters, statements, phone calls, videos and photos.


Support for this bill, locally and internationally, has been overwhelming. Polls have shown an obvious majority of 72% of Hawaii residents want shark finning to stop and are against allowing shark fin soup.


In Hawaii, the driving forces behind this bill are:

Senator Clayton Hee and his staff

Inga Gibson from the Humane Society of the United States

Vicky and Ginny Tiu

Stefanie Brendl from Shark Allies


Media


“Shark Fin Ban Still Alive”- KHON Report by Andrew Pereire



“Shark FINale?” – Editorial by Star Bulletin


“Ban shark fin possession” – Editorial Star Bulletin


“Humans: A dangerous predator” -West Hawaii Today


“The Endangered Hawaiian Shark Is Endangering Hawaiian Culture”– by Eryn-Ashlei Bailey




“Hawaii Legislators Make Unprecedented Move to Protect Sharks”, PR Web article by Laleh Mohajerani



“House Judiciary Chair Defers a Bill to Ban Shark Fins” – Hawaii Reporter


“Hawaii revives shark fin ban legislation”- Bikya Masr Egypy


San Francisco Chronicle- letter to the editor by David Barkley


German news on Shark fin bill

Rep Gene Ward - When Politicians Kill Tourism

This is the actual promotional flyer put out by Rep Gene Wards office in Hawaii this week.

It is one sided, anti-tourism, anti-shark diving and designed for one purpose only - to inflame an already angry populace (click image).

"Should Shark Tours be banned? If so How so?"

This is not the face of balanced tourism discussions. This is political theater, stoking an already angry mob to further anger and distrust of two operations in Hawaii that have been on the forefront of shark tourism in the region for the past 10 years.

Rep Ward is a savvy politician, like recent health care town hall debates across the country he knows what buttons to push and how to work the crowd. The people he has brought to these town hall meetings he is calling "his constituents," hoping to use their anger as justification and a shield for killing shark tourism in Hawaii.

Unfortunately the anti-shark diving sentiment being raised by Rep Wards efforts and staff has gone past coherent discussion and is now a full fledged witch hunt of epic proportions. In the long multi-million dollar history of tourism in Hawaii no single politician has gone after small business owners with this kind of directed public anger and mistrust. Using the fear of sharks three nautical miles off the mainland as his "wedge issue".

All is not lost.

The industry has seen this kind of effort before. A quick look into Rep Gene Wards political career shows a politician who sees tourism vision for Hawaii, as in his support for Spaceports on the islands.

We're pretty sure Rep Ward is not completely anti-tourism, as he is presiding over the worst tourism economy in the past 40 years with Hawaii suffering a 25% loss in revenues since 2008.

What is needed in Hawaii right now is rational discussion not political theatre. Meetings with officials and operators to define shark tourism in Hawaii and abide by hard and fast rules and regulations that keep 10,000 shark diving tourists coming back to Hawaiian waters year after year.

Honolulu Council Bill - Shark Tour Ban

The anti-shark diving movement is in full swing in Hawaii with a new ban on shark tours in Maui and now copy cat legislation in Oahu.

Make no bones about it, this is a well planned and executed attack on two operations representing 40,000 shark tourist per year on the North Shore of Hawaii.

We have covered this ongoing political debacle since it first broke, uncovering the political players as they appear, countering the shark fear hype presented by the anti-shark diving folks.

The commercial shark diving issue in Hawaii is not about the following:

1. Sacred Hawaiian sharks
2. Water safety
3. Shark attacks

It is about political grandstanding, short term thinking, and a successful anti-shark fear based media campaign.

Here's where you can help. The following emails need to hear from your voice today. Please make them aware that 40,000 shark tourists each year in Oahu represents a political hot topic, no politician wants to be the "tourism killer" in the worst tourism economy since the great depression in Hawaii.

Honolulu City and County Council Members

Todd K. Apo (808) 768-5001
tapo@honolulu.gov

Donovan M. Dela Cruz (808) 768-5002
dmdelacruz@honolulu.gov

Ikaika Anderson (808) 768-5003
ianderson@honolulu.gov

Charles K. Djou (808) 768-5004
cdjou@honolulu.gov

Ann Kobayashi (808) 768-5005
akobayashi@honolulu.gov

Rod Tam (808) 768-5006
rtam@honolulu.gov

Romy M. Cachola (808) 768-5007
rcachola@honolulu.gov_

Gary H. Okino (808) 768-5008
gokino@honolulu.gov

Nestor R. Garcia (808) 768-5009
ngarcia@honolulu.gov



Dear Council Member,

I am writing on behalf of North Shore Shark Adventures and Hawaii Shark Encounters based on the North Shore of Hawaii.

Both of these operations represent 40,000 shark tourists each and every year to your island. Both have been in business for close to a decade representing the finest example of sustainable and safe eco tourism operations.

I am sure you are aware of a recent shark study done by the University of Hawaii that indicates the animals of the North Shore do not follow these vessels back into shore as has been alleged. There is no man made shark safety issue with current shark tourism operations in Oahu as has been the case for close to a decade.

Your decision to ban shark tours will shut out 40,000 tourists from the North Shore. While Maui has banned shark tourism they have also provided Oahu with an unexpected boost to it's local economy. Tourists do not like to be shut out from tourism opportunities.

An adventure tourism seeker will choose Oahu over Maui knowing they can dive with sharks safely and sustainably when presented with this ban. This is an unexpected "tourism opportunity" handed to you by Maui that you can support or destroy with your vote.

Shark tourism represents a $300 million dollar global industry. When short sighted local governments in Florida banned shark tourism in 2001, Bahamas shark tourism quickly grew to a $70 million dollar a year juggernaut. Adventure tourism seekers represent the fastest growing segment of the global tourism market.These tourism seekers typically vote with their wallets.

Consider your vote in this matter carefully. The world is watching what Oahu does with this proposed shark ban. Will Oahu be known as the island that understood all aspects of tourism or the island that was lead by unsubstantiated fear based shark hysteria into destroying successful and safe shark tourism?

Do you want to be known as the politician who drove 40,000 shark tourists to other global tourism destinations outside of Hawaii?

Thank you for your consideration,
XXX

Hawaii - Karyn Herrmann Shark Conservation

Another in a long string of well thought and researched articles about Hawaii's current conservation track record and the the problems with politicians who only see $$$ when it comes to the environment.

Case in point Rep. Jon Riki Karamatsu
who is currently attempting to kill new legislation that would ban shark finning, transshipment, and sales in Hawaii.

Karyn Herrmann:

Currently about 175 countries have signed an environmental treaty to halt shark finning. Will Hawaii really allow an entire marine species to be wiped out forever just to satisfy the palate of a so called "cultural tradition" or the mana of a mythological "deity"?

The only explanation that can be drawn from these most recent events in the Hawaii Senate is that the hidden, money-driven, black market of the Honolulu distributors has paid off both the advocates and the opponents of the bill. Clearly, shark finning is a multimillion-, possibly billion-dollar business in Hawaii, legal or not. When you have so many vocal entities opposing a ban that is supported globally, one must question if the entire process within the Hawaii Senate is riddled with corruption.

Hawaii - Shark Task Force - Political Embarrassment?

They say the best way to know someone is by the "the company they keep".

We have been covering the ongoing battle in Hawaii to save two shark diving operations from overzealous politicians who are using the fear of sharks to sell a homemade political agenda.

That agenda will turn 40,000 shark tourists away from Oahu at a time where tourism dollars are at an all time low, in the worst economy Hawaii has seen in the past 40 years.

Here's the good news. After face to face meetings with Rep.Gene Ward in Hawaii last week, the anti-shark diving mandate from his office has been clarified from a complete "ban on all shark tours" to a "ban on chumming" which will culminate in proposed legislation that local operators can get behind and work with politicians for win-win tourism solutions.

Rep.Gene Ward should be thanked for taking this stand. It shows he is a politician that understands all points of issues and someone who is pro tourism, even if the touristic endeavor is "out of the box".

40,000 shark diving tourists and the money they pump into Oahu's economy is a hard number to work against politically - some will try, but the old argument of "it's the economy stupid," trumps most agendas.

But back to the "company you keep" discussion.

Rep.Gene Wards office is also the home of the Shark Task Force and it's close affiliation with two virulent anti-shark diving websites Safe Waters Hawaii and Stop Shark Feeding Hawaii. These websites feature an overflowing bacchanalia of misinformation, shark attack hype, and toxic quotes from some of the worst sources on the Internet.

A quick look at Safe Waters Hawaii shows an affiliation with the Pelagic Shark Foundation out of Santa Cruz and here's where "the company you keep" begins to embarrass Rep. Gene Wards offices:

Santa Cruz Shark Research Group Draws Big Fine

June 21, 2003

Release from: By Clarissa Aljentera The Monterey Herald

Helping an entertainment company film great white sharks has landed a hefty fine for a Santa Cruz-based research group.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Friday that it has levied a $21,000 fine against the Pelagic Shark Research Foundation for violating its research permit while helping a film company obtain footage of a shark near Año Nuevo north of Santa Cruz.

The spot is within the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, which is administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Ray Torres of NOAA said the violation was discovered last August after the Discovery Channel aired the shark video, which was filmed in 2001.

"We would never do anything to hurt a shark," Sean Van Sommeran, executive director of the Pelagic Shark Research Foundation, said Friday. "In our permit it says a film crew can visit us. We followed standard operating procedure."

NOAA said Van Sommeran's group violated two terms of its research permit when it allowed Shark Entertainment to accompany foundation researchers into the sanctuary to film sharks for entertainment purposes. The company was producing "Air Jaws II," a film about great white shark behavior in South Africa, Australia and California.

The foundation was also fined for using a "Hollywood mock-up" of a seal to lure sharks. The permit forbids use of lures in connection with a media venture.

"It was a violation of sanctuary rules," said Torres, a special agent for NOAA.

Although the film was shot in October 2001, it wasn't publicly aired until 2002. Torres said phone calls from researchers and shark enthusiasts helped alert the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Torres is unsure whether the Pelagic Shark Research Foundation's permit will be revoked but there could be more restrictions placed on the foundation.

The Pelagic Shark Foundation received a permit in 1999, primarily to be used for tagging, behavioral observation and photo identification of white sharks in the area.

Rep.Gene Wards office should reconsider all affiliations with anti-shark diving websites and web pages that feature groups that may cause his office political embarrassment now and in the near future - including staff members from his offices who are working with these websites.

Hawaii Shark Diving - Media

Blow back from a failed and spectacularly poor commercial shark diving roll out continues to haunt existing operations on the island of Oahu, Hawaii.

As we have long said within our industry - actions taken as an operator affect not only your operation but those around you. The media, the public, and lawmakers see "one group" when the subject of commercial shark diving comes up and rarely see individuals or businesses.

This week as expected reporters in Hawaii closed in on the legal side of existing operations and an apparent loop hole that exists in the federal Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act which states it is unlawful to use food or any other substance in federal waters off Hawaii to attract sharks unless they are being caught or killed for human use.

Bizarrely, if existing operations killed sharks on their tours what they would be doing would be deemed legal according to this federal law. As long as this law exists lawmakers have the right to exercise it. With several Hawaiian lawmakers up for reelection this is a bad time for loop holes in Hawaii.

Solution?

Operators in Hawaii will need to work in concert to fend off this upcoming storm. Easier said than done as with most sites worldwide operator mistrust and long standing competition has not created the atmosphere for such an alliance. Regardless, an active and positive media campaign rolled out now will help fend off future attacks by anti shark diving advocates, malcontents, the uninformed, and the media whose anti shark diving bias runs deep.

"Setting the table" now will help the existing operations in the long term work through the loophole and the battles that are sure to come. Ignoring this issue and hoping it will go away is the last thing these operators should be doing.

Hawaii - Tours Pose Little Risk

Three cheers for reporter Christie Wilson with Honolulu Advertiser who, bucking recent media trends in Hawaii, has introduced a story about what is not happening with commercial shark diving operations in Hawaii.

As we have been covering, politicians and anti-shark diving groups reacting to a tragically poor operator roll out in Hawaii Kai have called for a complete ban on all operators in the region.

To close existing commercial shark diving loopholes, this growing anti-shark diving group is demanding legislators to:

"(1) prohibit use of public facilities such as parks, piers, ramps, and harbors by shark tour operations;
(2) prohibit advertising of commercial shark tours in any print and electronic media; and, (3) prohibit commercial use of shark cages or other devices designed to place humans in close proximity to sharks or within shark habitats."

Citing a recent research study today regional commercial shark diving operators came back (finially) with the one thing they had at their disposal - research data:

"When it comes to offshore caged shark diving tours, there is no evidence of any risk to nearshore recreational users," said marine scientist Carl Meyer. "People need to understand there are already sharks in these initial shark-feeding areas and if these shark tours were a real problem, we would have seen it manifested by now by an increase in attacks.

"The study reports other factors that make the tours a minimal public safety risk include the fact shark-diving tours mimic the activities of crab-fishing vessels operating in the same area for more than 40 years, and that inshore recreational stimuli, such as a surfer paddling on a surfboard, "are substantially different from the conditioning stimuli associated with tour operations ... and, hence, unlikely to stimulate a conditioned feeding response."

Editors Note: THIS is one reason why operators work in tandem with shark researchers. To exclude shark research within operations is to blind yourself to important data about the animals you make a living with.

Additionally, ongoing data sets provide impartial answers to questions and accusations leveled by the anti-shark diving lobby at our industry members. These accusations are typically taken from a well worn "play book" of "raw meat hysteria".

The operators in Hawaii have a long way to go - but today, they just began the road back to credibility in the public eye. Kudos to all involved in both this study, and to reporter Christie Wilson.

Update: Reporter Leila Fujimori from Hawaii's Star Bulletin also ran with this story this morning. Kudos.

Chumslick - Blogger, Activist, Poet/Warrior

We have been fans of the Chumslick Blog (written by an actual shark) for a while now.

Today the C.B jumped into the issue of commercial shark diving in Hawaii. Like us Chumslick understands the positive benefits of commercial shark diving encounters - done right.

Read the post.

If commercial shark diving in Hawaii is to survive the virtual onslaught of anti-shark diving sentiment being levied against it by a handful of islanders, politico's and malcontents, the following industry wide help will be needed.

1. 10 "30 second" pro-shark industry you tube videos featuring well known dive industry names

2. Letters from industry filmmakers and photographers to tourism Hawaii and government

3. Letters from wholesale and regional tourism companies who book Hawaii or the region

4. Pro Hawaii shark diving website that ties in all these elements

5. Pro bono distribution and op ed articles on scuba websites and industry news wires

This is not rocket science, it is Media 101. Hanging in the balance are two good shark diving companies with unblemished track records and thousands of satisfied customers.

As an industry member you can support these operations, without your support these operators future remains in grave doubt. What's a stake is the future of other sites when Hawaii closes down shark diving in their waters forever.

Oahu Shark Tour Bill - Banning 40,000 Tourists

Editors note: Here is the official anti-shark diving ordinance that will be voted on in Oahu very soon. It will effectively shut down two operations that, for the past decade, have introduced 40,000 shark cage diving tourists each year to Hawaii's sharks.

Safely, sustainably, and without incident.

12 tons of sharks fin representing over 8200 dead sharks per container are processed in Hawaii each week and have done so for the past 17 years. Sharks that are harvested in the same waters the two North Shore operators work in, 3 miles from Hawaii's coastlines.

Many of these "overseas shark fins" are in fact Hawaiian sharks, caught within sight line of the tropical white sand coasts millions of tourists flock to each year.

A loophole in Hawaii's laws, killing sharks for fins, while council members in Oahu work to ban sustainable shark tourism operators that represent the best of sustainable tourism practices.

This is the true face of Hawaii's shark world, debunking the myth being put forward that, "The council further finds that sharks have great cultural, historical, and spiritual significance for many Native Hawaiians."

Where are you going to spend your next vacation?


RELATING TO SHARK TOUR OPERATIONS.


BE IT ORDAINED by the People of the City and County of Honolulu:

SECTION 1. Findings and purpose. The council finds that the oceans are used by city residents and visitors for numerous aquatic activities, including fishing, boating, swimming, surfing, canoe paddling, and snorkeling. The council further finds that sharks have great cultural, historical, and spiritual significance for many Native Hawaiians. The council believes that shark tours, the practice of charging residents and visitors to venture into ocean waters to view sharks attracted by fish feeding, raises public safety concerns for ocean users, is disrespectful of Hawaiian culture, alters the natural behavior and distribution of sharks, and may be disruptive of ocean ecology and the natural environment. The purpose of this ordinance is to ban shark tour operations.

SECTION 2. Chapter 40, Revised Ordinances of Honolulu 1990, ("Prohibited Activities in the City") is amended by adding a new article to be appropriately designated by the revisor of ordinances and to read as follows:

"Article ___. Shark Tour Operations

Sec. 40-__.1 Definitions.

As used in this article:

"Fish feeding" means to introduce or attempt to introduce into the ocean water any food or other substance for consumption by fish.

"Shark tour operations" means the maintenance of an office, the collection of a fee or other financial consideration, the distribution, marketing, or advertising of tickets for sale, or the conduct of any other business activity conducted by a person for the purpose of enabling customers to venture into ocean waters to view sharks attracted by fish feeding; provided that this term does not include educational or cultural expeditions or endeavors for which a fee is not required.

Sec. 40-__.2 Prohibition.

It is unlawful for any person to engage in shark tour operations.


Sec. 40-__.3 Violation—Penalty.

Any person who violates this article shall be fined not more than $1,000 or imprisoned not more than one year or both.”

SECTION 3. This ordinance shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:














DATE OF INTRODUCTION:



Honolulu, Hawaii Councilmembers

APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LEGALITY:



Deputy Corporation Counsel

APPROVED this day of , 20 .



MUFI HANNEMANN, Mayor
City and County of Honolulu

Hawaii Shark Diving - An Angry Mob

With the news coming out of Hawaii for existing commercial shark diving operations sounding grim, the old adage "a good offence" is "good advice".

Still buzzing from a failed commercial roll out last month, islanders and the Hawaii Kai Neighborhood Board will decide tonight on a resolution measure that will ask for the closure of all shark diving activities in Hawaii.

The same pitchforks and flaming torches anti-shark diving "resolutions" that forever closed commercial operations in Florida back in 2001. This is the most serious challenge to commercial shark diving seen in many years and operators need to move fast now to head off possible closures at the hands of those few who see commercial shark diving as negative. Chumming data from credible sources worldwide exists to counter many of the arguments, but this challenge will not be met in public meetings, the media will decide the fate of operations on these islands.

Food for thought - and a clarion cry for serious and lasting action:

The Hawaii Kai Neighborhood Board will consider a resolution to support a
statewide ban on commercial shark tours during its meeting tonight.

The meeting begins at 7 at Hahaione Elementary School.

The resolution is in response to community opposition to a proposed shark
tour operation outside Maunalua Bay, and to questions raised about the
legality of existing shark tours on Oahu's North Shore.

State and federal laws currently prohibit feeding sharks within 200 miles of
shore.

More than 300 people attended a community meeting on the issue at Kamiloiki
Elementary on April 16. Opponents of shark tours said that sharks learn to
identify the sound of vessels that have chummed the water, that chumming
causes sharks to associate feeding with humans, and that sharks have been
observed to follow shark tour boats back toward shore.

The Hawaii Kai Neighborhood Board resolution calls for "city and state
legislation to effectively ban commercial shark tours in Maunalua Bay and
throughout the state."

To close existing loopholes, the resolution also calls for legislation to:
"(1) prohibit use of public facilities such as parks, piers, ramps, and
harbors by shark tour operations; (2) prohibit advertising of commercial
shark tours in any print and electronic media; and, (3) prohibit commercial
use of shark cages or other devices designed to place humans in close
proximity to sharks or within shark habitats."

The public is invited to attend the meeting and offer testimony.

Complete Story

Hawaii Shark Diving - Meyer Study

Back in May we posted an update on the Carl Meyer study that looked into Hawaii shark tourism and habituation of sharks to chum.

The study concluded that existing commercial shark diving operations pose little risk to public safety.

This landmark study has come at a time when a virulent anti-shark diving effort has been pushing to have commercial shark diving banned in Hawaii's waters.

The relentless anti-shark diving campaign has culminated on the island of Maui, which has no commercial shark diving in its waters, proposing a bill to ban it.

There's still time to save two very good shark diving operations in Hawaii. Follow the media trail and make a few of your own. The major news media has grabbed on to the Meyer study (which makes for great reading) and have positively reported the conclusion.

The news of this study should be posted to every chat room, scubaboard, and social network site for divers as soon as possible. The anti-shark diving lobby plays one card and one card only - fear.

Without the fear of sharks commercial shark diving wins on the argument of sharks=tourism=economy.

Help Hawaii make the right decisions about the future of off shore (3 mile) shark diving.


Kohn2

Miami Herald

Honolulu Star

KITV ABC

Support for Hawaii shark-fin ban grows, but will it be enough?

More reporting on Hawaii's close but not quite decided Senate Bill 2169. A bill that would ban shark fin sales in Hawaii setting a precedent around the world.

Who is holding this bill up and what can you do about it?

Rep Riki Karamatsu, for reasons that remain his own, reasons that run contrary to environmentalists and even the vast majority of politicians in Hawaii who would like to see this done.

Hawaii is poised to show real leadership around the world for it's oceans and the health of our planet, that is unless one man with a dark agenda beats everyone to the gate.

Complete story by Peter Thomas.

Do you want to save the sharks in Hawaii?

Lately we all heard of Western Australia's controversial shark cull policy, supposedly intended to save lives and help the tourism industry. So how is Hawaii dealing with the sharks that frequent the waters surrounding the islands? Are they using a similar approach?Shark Diving, swimming with sharks, cage diving, shark research, diving with Great white sharks, are specialties of Shark Diver
Hmmm, not quite! Their approach is a tiny bit different, instead of culling sharks they are considering penalties for harming sharks! You can read the full text of the proposed bill here. Since this bill has not been passed yet, they need your help.  You can tell them why you support the bill here,  OMHTestimony@capitol.hawaii.govEco tourism, Isla Guadalupe, Tiger Sharks, Galapagos Island, Whale sharks
The reasons mentioned, for wanting to implement penalties for harming sharks are,

SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that sharks and rays are extremely important to ocean ecosystems.  As ocean predators towards the top of the food chain, sharks and rays keep the ecosystem balanced, regulate populations of other marine life, and ensure healthy fish stock and reefs.

Sharks and rays are more vulnerable to fishing pressures than most other fish species.  They are long-lived, slow-growing, start reproducing at an advanced age, and produce relatively few offspring per year.  If over-fished, these populations take a long time to recover.  If the food chain is disrupted by a decline in the shark population, it affects the entire reef system.  Protection for sharks and rays ultimately means healthier, more resilient oceans and reefs that are better able to withstand other pressures on the ocean ecosystem from climate change and pollution.

Sharks and rays on the reefs not only play important ecological roles but are also valued figures in Hawaiian culture and are important economically to ocean recreation industries and to tourism in Hawaii.  The benefits of maintaining viable populations greatly outweigh any value that would be gained by killing these species.

The purpose of this Act is to protect these species for ecological purposes, for their value to the ocean recreation industry and to native Hawaiian cultural practices, and to establish fines and penalties for knowingly harming, killing, or capturing sharks or rays within state waters.

Again, it's important to note, that this is only a proposed bill and has not been passed yet. Don't forget to support the bill by sending your comments to OMHTestimony@capitol.hawaii.gov

Let's help those legislators who are fighting for our oceans and all the creatures living in it!

Cheers,
Martin Graf
CEO Shark Diver


About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at staff@sharkdiver.com

Shark Allies - Commercial Conservation

As a long running theme here at this blog we have advocated for commercial shark diving involvement and leadership in conservation efforts.

Last week we got the following email and announcement from Stefanie Brendl, owner of Hawaiian Shark Encounters.

Shark conservation, outreach, and education is best served by the front line operators in the region.

Welcome to the new conservation website Shark Allies and Kudos to the guys in Hawaii for dreaming this up:

Hi Guys,

At last, our non-profit "Shark Allies" is getting off the ground. We have been tinkering around with websites and organizational stuff, but at last, we are going official. We have a booth at the Ocean Expo in Oahu this weekend where we will hand out a lot of info, introduce our first three projects, have some petitions to sign and hopefully get some members and volunteers.

Our first projects are:

A) Supporting and expanding the Marine Science Program at Waialua High School. We gave them money from Shark Encounters last year so they could start. The students love it and it has been very successful. They need more money to expand it so more students can sign up.

B)Supporting research for the study of the movement of sharks in the Hawaiian islands. Shark Encounters has been supporting a tagging project done by the Shark Lab of UH for two years that has given us a lot of new data for Galapagos and Sandbar sharks. We want to expand it to tiger sharks and beyond the North Shore.

C) Shark Fin legislation in Hawaii. Right now Sharks have to be landed whole, but it is not illegal to bring in or transship fins. So containers packed with fins still come into Hawaii.

We want to work towards a ban on all shark fin products in Hawaii.

This is a very small and humble start, keeping it local at first. But hopefully it can grow into an organization that can make a difference beyond Hawaii.

Thanks,

Stefanie

SharkAllies.org

Editors Note: You had us at Shark Allies;)

Urgent - Hawaii Shark Fin Bill Needs a Push

If you have some time in your busy schedule over the next two days please add your voice to excellent efforts in Hawaii to help conserve sharks with a new bill SB2169:

Hello everyone,

For some reason the Representative that is the chair of our LAST
committee, Riki Karamatsu, is unresponsive and hasn't scheduled a hearing for our shark finning bill.

If you have the time today or tomorrow, please take a minute and send a message/call to to urge him to hear SB2169.

We have come so far with this bill and I can't believe it is stuck now! Very frustrating.

Tell him how important this is for Hawaii, but also the rest of the US/world.

Tell him that the desire for people to eat shark fin soup should not
override the decision to pass this bill. A delicacy should not cause
the destruction of the ocean... etc

Express yourself as strongly as you can and if you are from Hawaii
make sure you let him know that too.

We have been sending messages and have been stopping by his office. We
have given him photos, letters and videos.

Apparently he needs more pressure to be convinced. I think there are a couple of member in the House that really like to eat their shark fin soup that may have asked him to not hear the bill.

I will go to the capitol this afternoon to park myself outside his
office until he speaks to me.

Here is his info:

Jon Riki Karamatsu
Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee
phone 808-586-8490; fax 808-586-8494
E-mail repkaramatsu@Capitol.hawaii.gov

thank you
Stefanie