Shark Operators Plan To Challenge Law - Hawaii

Shark Industry Watch 8.21.2010

Shark tour operators who were cited for allegedly chumming off the North Shore say they will challenge the law.The case will likely cost more than the cost of paying a fine because it will raise some complex issues in court.

"It's basically a ridiculous charge and we are going to fight it all the way even to an appeal," attorney Ken Kuniyuki said.Five employees of two Haleiwa shark tour companies were charged with illegal chumming last week, nearly a year after federal investigators collected evidence.

The charge is a petty misdemeanor with up to a $1,000 fine, but an attorney for one of the men said state game wardens treated the defendants like felons.

The Story.

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.