Hawaii - Sample Letter

Well done!
Where I rant, others keep their cool.

The good people over at the Shark Safe Network Blog have posted the following sample letter. If you want to assist Stefanie in Hawaii, please send it, or parts of it to the addresses mentioned in the previous blog post.

Thank you!

Dear Sen. Hee,

I am writing in support of two North Shore shark eco-tour businesses, North Shore Shark Adventures and Hawaii Shark Encounters. These responsible businesses, that draw tens of thousands of tourists every year, are being unfairly targeted by a series of five bills (SB2330, HB2664, HB2459, HB2705, HB2483) that have been submitted to this year's State Legislative session. It is appalling and unconscionable that public officials -- who are supported by Hawaiians' tax dollars -- would take up the State Legislature's time and resources with this series of bills that have no other purpose than to destroy two hard working and law abiding small businesses.

The proponents of these bills have been conducting a campaign of misinformation and misguided emotion with no regard to the facts or any common sense. A calm review of the facts and issues, however, presents a much different picture.

Following are some observations on the issues involved that I respectfully present to you:

1. Public Safety: There has been no evidence to indicate that these shark eco-tours pose a hazard to public safety, nor is there any indication that the tours cause a significant change in the sharks' behavior. Please see the following University of Hawaii study, which concluded that shark tours have a "negligible impact on public safety" (http://www.hawaii.edu/cgi-bin/uhnews?20090714111309).

Other activities in Hawaii's waters are much more likely to attract sharks close to shore and the surfers, canoers and swimmers. For example, the Waikiki Midnight shark hunt operates near the most populated areas of Waikiki and Hawaii Kai. Spear fishing goes on right in the surf zone where bleeding and struggling fish attract sharks.

It doesn't make a lot of sense that activities that attract sharks close to shore are apparently not considered to be a threat, while shark viewing tours that operate three miles offshore are being criticized as a hazard to public safety. Yes, these tours operate three miles offshore in 600 foot deep water, far from where any surfing, swimming or canoeing takes place. Participants view the sharks from Poly Glass cages that allow them to view the sharks with no risk of physical contact.

This anti-shark tour movement seems to be fueled by a fear of sharks and shark attacks that is way out of proportion to the actual risk. For example, according to the International Shark Attack File there have been five shark attack fatalities in Oahu since 1828, and the last one occurred in 1992. The shark eco-tours that are being targeted have only been in existence since 2001. Proponents of the bills in question, however, are using the fear factor to manipulate the public and attract attention to promote themselves and their personal agendas.

2. Hawaiian Culture - Aumakua: Please see the following Public Service Announcement that is currently being aired on Fijian television -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eqrKs1B74w& .

(That would be this)



Sharks are also very important to Fijians and other Polynesian cultures.
Yet the Fijians do not consider shark viewing tours to be offensive or disrespectful. What does offend Fijians is the unsustainable killing of sharks that is going on throughout the world.

The Waikiki Midnight shark hunt attracts sharks with bait so that paying customers can catch and release the sharks. Is this activity not using the sharks for entertainment and profit? Yet shark fishing tours are not being targeted by these bills; only the shark viewing tours.

Shark fin soup is sold in Hawaiian restaurants and container loads filled with shark fins can be seen in Honolulu Harbour. If the welfare of the sharks is the concern here, it seems that the shark fin traders in Hawaii's ports and markets and the longliners in Hawaii's waters would be more appropriate targets.

Since sharks are such an integral part of Hawaii's culture why not promote shark conservation, education, respect and understanding? What the shark viewing eco-tours are doing is educating and enlightening, promoting understanding and respect, not fear. How is this bad?

3. Sharks are vital to the health of the marine ecosystem. Hawaii's tourism industry depends heavily on its marine resources. Without sharks to keep the oceans in balance, the ecosystem begins to fall apart, and everyone suffers. Sharks should be protected, not vilified.

4. Impact on tourism and small businesses: A decision to ban shark tours would shut out 40,000 tourists from the North Shore. These tour operators are generating tourism dollars for the local economy. They are hard working small business owners who pay taxes. The tourists who go on these tours also stay in hotels, eat in restaurants and go shopping. Especially during these challenging economic times, is it wise to take actions that will drive out small businesses and tourists? Stirring up fear of shark attacks doesn't seem to be a good idea for tourism either. This fiasco has generated a huge amount of press, not just locally, but internationally as well. And it does not show Hawaii in a favorable light.

It's understandable that Hawaiians would want to see some kind of regulation or oversight of shark tour operations. Irresponsible tour operators certainly could endanger their clients, generate negative press and even possibly endanger others. This statement applies not only to shark tour operators, however, but to many recreational activities.

But why attack responsible tour operators who are operating three miles offshore in deep waters far away from any surfing, canoeing or swimming?

Please consider all the issues and the potential consequences of any proposed actions. And please don't allow Hawaii's Legislature to be hijacked by this witch hunt mentality that aims to destroy small businesses and recklessly divert the State's attention and resources from much more important matters.

Thank you very much for your time and attention!

Sincerely,

Hawaii - at it again!

I just got the following from Stefanie in Hawaii.

If you don't know what I'm talking about, take the time to read this.
In a nutshell, some legislators are continuing to try and close Hawaii's Shark viewing tours.
Ironically, they represent the very people who are the biggest causal threat to the safety of Hawaii's beaches, the fishermen and spear fishermen.

Even more ironically, some indigenous Hawaiian buffoons who claim to have a special affinity to Sharks have jumped on the anti-industry, anti Shark bandwagon by coming up with some sanctimonious and quite frankly, ludicrous pseudo-cultural bullshit (lemme tell you, the Fijians are laughing their head off!) that has been obviously made up on the fly - and this against two operations that have a proven track record of trying to protect the very animals those guys profess to revere. How much more pro-'aumakua can one possibly be? And, when will those spineless Haoles finally man up and take a stand against this all-pervasive reverse racism?
Tragically, this is happening in the midst of Hawaii's biggest economic slump in human memory and threatens to wipe out millions in income from tourists!

But time is of the essence - so without further ado:

Lyla Berg and Gene Ward are at it again.

Since they couldn't kill us in City Council last year (thanks to all of you that wrote and came to the meeting in support), they have submitted bills to this years State Legislative session. That was predictable.

What we didn't see coming, because it seems ridiculous and outrageous, was that they would submit FIVE bills!
All of them basically the same, just different versions. In response, our Senator from the North shore, Robert Bunda, submitted another bill that took one of theirs and added a clause that would allow us to keep operating to protect small business and the local economy. Rep. Magaoay submitted the same one on the House side. So now there are a total of SEVEN bills dealing with shark tours.

And I thought Hawaii had some big issues to tackle like the economy, jobs, public education....?!

Apparently Lyla Berg continues on this crusade, even angrier than before.
She is running for office this year, so she has taken on the shark tours as one of her causes to get attention. I am spending a lot of time at the capitol these days. Trying to stay ahead of the curve. Haven't even had time to write this update until today. Things are happening so fast and changing every day that by the time you read this, the status of bills may have changed. We are working on having some of these bills weeded out so not all of the bills will be heard by the committees. The ones that do, will get a hearing date. Unfortunately the notices for hearings can be as short as 48 hours.

If you are willing to help: Send a written statement of support to these offices:

(This has to happen as soon as possible, because hearings are being scheduled every day. You can use what you had written before for the City council or letters to the editor. Keep it short and sweet and tell them that you are strongly opposed to/appalled/disturbed/ shocked by :) any bills that will kill small businesses.)

- House Committee on Water, Land, Ocean Resources

- Representative Ken Ito (Fax: 586-8474 email: repito@capitol.hawaii.gov) Reference House bill: HB2459, HB2664, HB2705, HB2483, HB2900

- Senate Committee on Land and Water

- Senator Clayton Hee (Fax: 586-7334 email: senhee@capitol.hawaii.gov) Reference Senate Bill: SB2330, SB2655 (save your letters so you can send them again for the next batch of committee hearings).

If you are willing to come to hearings with us, it would be helpful to start prepping any statements and testimonials you are willing to give. And you could talk to other people you may know who can help since the notice to act will most likely be very short. If you can keep me on your radar by checking and reading my emails, I will try to announce all action with as much notice as possible.
If you are interested to read any of the bills, go to this page and type in the number of the bill http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2010/ The bills are SB2330 SB2655 HB2664 HB2459 HB2705 HB2483 HB2900

You can also call or fax the offices of our North shore representatives and tell them what you think about these bills.
Both, Senator Bunda and Rep. Magaoay are very supportive of our businesses and are going to help us fight the bills. It will only strengthen their commitment to hear from other people that they support the shark tour. Even if you just tell them that you appreciate the fact that they are supporting us. They have been incredibly nice and open and have an open door for anyone that wants to get involved.

- Senator Robert Bunda: 586-6090 (ask for Laura) Fax 586-6091

- Representative Michael Magaoay 586-6380 (ask for Judy) Fax 586-6381

Thanks for your time, call me anytime if you have questions 778-6740

Stefanie

Hawaii - so far, Good News!

It looks that after all, they are not that stupid!

A flurry of messages and this post by the guys over at Underwater Thrills inform me that the Honolulu City Council has killed a proposal aimed at banning Shark Tours. The Council is very obviously used to dealing with whacks - like when they had to seriously vote on a xenophobic ban against smelly foreigners. Yes, you better believe it!
Good on them for not having succumbed to the demagoguery and hysteria of the Shark haters and to the shenanigans of the token Uncle Charlies!

Talking of which, read this, by a frustrated and obviously, very brave journalist.
Looks like the native ethno-scamsters are perpetuating their frauds and intimidating the politicians and the communities right across the board:

The religiously loaded word "sacred" is invoked a lot in local political disputes, on issues from astronomy development on Mauna Kea to military training in Makua Valley to Halloween blowouts in Lahaina and Labor Day parties on the Kane'ohe Bay sandbar.

As an example, check out this brazen piece of bullshit from a bill (once again supported by the ethno-whacks over in Maui) trying to ban any research on Taro (or Kalo) aimed at making it less susceptible to pests and disease. Yes, that's right: the haoles were trying to preserve the staple diet of the Pacific Islanders!

"Kalo intrinsically embodies the interdependency of the past, the present, and the future, the essence of procreation and regeneration, as the foundation of any sustainable practice. Kalo expresses the spiritual and physical well-being of not only the kanaka maoli and their heritage, but also symbolizes the environmental, social, and cultural values important to the state."

Riiiiiiiight.........
So what's next:a bill to legalize the host-cultural sacred practice of human sacrifice?

As to the shenanigans surrounding the perceived disrespect of the 'aumākua, please take the time to read this op ed by a fearless, enlightened and obviously, knowledgeable Hawaiian that once again exposes the assertions as a total fraud. This is what he writes.

For those of us honestly concerned about protecting people from sharks in the ocean, all reliable empirical and anecdotal scientific evidence suggests we should ban all near-shore human activity in the ocean, as opposed to deep-water activity like shark tours.

This means all human activity in the reefs, the open-water inside the reefs, and the open-water just outside of the reefs. Virtually all shark attacks occur in the reefs or in the open-water just outside of the reefs. The victims are almost always surfers and swimmers, and to a lesser-degree divers, especially divers who are spear fishing and drawing blood from their catch. When sharks do venture into open-water inside the reefs, it is usually because they are following spear-fishermen, who are swimming back to shore with their bloody catches, or because of fish that surf-fisherman have hooked and are reeling into shore. Every experienced spear or surf-fisherman can tell you stories of catches they have lost to raiding sharks in the reefs and surf.

In other words, if we are honest about doing something to reduce the danger to people posed by sharks, we need to ban all forms of near-shore surfing, all forms of near-shore swimming, all forms of near-shore diving and all forms of near-shore fishing.
Of course, this ban would be ridiculous, just as ridiculous as the proposed shark-tour ban.

Good on 'ya Scott!

First Amendment anybody?
When will the majority stop soiling their pants, man up and stop the blatant reverse racism?

But back to the Shark ban.
Does that mean that this hypocritical stupidity is finally off the table and that everybody can now concentrate on reversing the ailing economy, on creating jobs and on earning tourism dollars?

Not when it comes to the lone and unsuccessful anti-Shark Councilor Charles Djou, to the infamous Shark Task Force and to the equally infamous Hawaii Kai Neighborhood Board that started the whole mess in the first place and spawned the rep. Gene Ward.
And especially, not when it comes to this man, a self professed lawyer by training and a fisherman by choice and a notorius (scroll down to "New Business" at the bottom) anti-industry zealot.

They will continue to ignore the facts, blatantly distort the truth, pander to the fears of the public and perpetuate their disgraceful ethno-scam. Wanna bet?
Nah, this is far from over - alas!

Keep watching this space!

Hawaii - the 'Aumākua

I'm still pissed off whenever i read it.

I'm referring to this announcement that some council on Maui has decided to ban all Shark tour businesses in the County. Mind you, pre-emptively, as there are no such businesses there!
Some other council has obviously just ratified it.

It's not the decision in itself, although I find it really bizarre.
It is statements like "I believe the commercialization of a religious symbol that's so important to the host culture is inappropriate" and ...the bill prohibiting shark tour operations in Maui County was a matter of respect for Native Hawaiians who consider the animals sacred and especially, the following that really gets me going.

Kahu Charles Kauluwehi Maxwell Sr. reminded council members that many Native Hawaiians honor sharks as aumakua, or guardian spirits, and said treating the animals as entertainment was invasive and disrespectful.
"Any time you organize a tour to look at the mano (shark), you're disturbing their environment," he said.

Well, I initially reacted angrily and wrote a scathing post about the natives playing the reverse racial card on the naive google-eyed Palangi and their oh-so-politically-correct bad conscience.
When Patric of Underwater Thrills took it onto himself to fly to Hawaii in order to mediate between the warring factions, I retracted the post as a token of good faith as I was told that it was detracting from the efforts to find a consensual solution.
That solution has been found - and I'm still waiting to see if the rep. Gene Ward will keep his end of the bargain and finally distance himself from the demagogic rubbish posted by the Shark Task Force and their infamous Safe WatersforHawaii website.

But back to the allegation that viewing Sharks may be disrespectful to Hawaiian culture and their belief in the 'aumākua.
Here's what our wise, and wisely anonymous Hawaiian has to say about the topic.

BAN LOGIC #1: Shark tourism is disrespectful and offensive to Hawaiian culture and religion because it uses sacred amaukua for entertainment purposes.

SMELL TEST A: Native Hawaiians venerated many creatures from the natural world as aumakua, including various birds, fish, sea turtles, dolphins, and whales.

• Has this government body banned bird-watching, whale-watching, or any other type of wildlife viewing tours based on the logic that they are disrespectful to Hawaiian culture?

SMELL TEST B: Workers in the recreational fishing industry frequently deal with sharks that attempt to feed on their bait or catches by tossing baited hooks with floats into the water so that the shark will hook itself and then die painfully of starvation while fighting against the float.

• Is this disrespectful of the aumakua?
• Has this government body banned this practice?

Pretty darned straight-forward and revealing huh?

What really baffles me is Maxwell's statement in the matter.
According to this post by none other than my friend Alex the Sharkman, he is
a very well respected "Kupuna" (Elder) in the Hawaiian Community and all throughout Polynesia. "Uncle Charlie", as he is affectionately known, is also the curator and cultural consultant, for sharks at the Maui Ocean Center and is linked to sharks spiritually.

And after a lot of edifying cultural stuff, I also discover this
In ancient times, families were careful not to eat certain forms of animal life if their 'aumakua was thought to appear in that form, for if they did, they knew the punishment could be as severe as death.
And this, by none other than the revered uncle himself!
I openly talk about the shark because I too am thriving for its preservation. Before I sent you the information and picture, I checked out your website and found that it promotes preservation of the shark. Mahalo

So, Uncle Charlie, what happened?
Why do you suddenly side with people like Makani Christensen, the president of the Shark Task Force and a notorious Shark hater and Fish killer?

One can say many, mostly stupid things against the Shark tour operators.
But one thing is unequivocal: that they love Sharks and contribute to dispelling the myth of the killer beasts. And that they often enable Shark research and are often engaged in Shark conservation.

Case in point: Stefanie and her Hawaiian Shark Encounters.
Her website (and that of North Shore Shark Adventures) is brimming with pro-Shark messages and on top of that, she has even started a Shark protection org, Shark Allies!

How much more respectful of the 'aumākua can anybody possibly be?
Shouldn't the native community, especially those who are spiritually linked to Sharks, respect and thank those people instead of reviling them?

And shouldn't prominent Hawaiians like Uncle Charlie stop being hypocritical and invest all their energy and cultural might into combating the real problem, i.e. the relentless extermination of Sharks by the spearos, game and commercial fishermen - and the resulting degradation of Hawaii's reef habitats?

Questions, questions...

Hawaii Smell Test - it stinks!

Bit-by-bit, the Shark Task Force in Hawaii is being outed as what it really is: a fraud.

Run directly out of the offices of the rep. Gene Ward, it operates the anti-Industry hate site Safe Waters for Hawaii and propagates, among other stupidities, the myth that two operators conducting Shark tours miles offshore constitute a public safety hazard.

Ward has so far failed to distance himself from the hate group.
In what is increasingly looking like a huge political embarrassment, his persistent silence risks making him a de-facto supporter.

He has been handed the unique chance of being able to step up and claim to have solved the "problem" consensually and to look like a statesman in the process. The flip side, siding with the anti-Shark lynch mob would be to look anti-business, anti-tourism and anti-science.
Well, as I said, that's really his choice isn't it.

Others are ensuring that their reputation is not being tainted.
Both the UNEP and TIES have asked that their names and quotes on the SWFH website be rescinded. I hear that more such requests are about to follow.

I had a look and the quotes are still there.

Hardly surprising considering the affiliation of the Shark Task Force with the infamous anti-Industry CDNN and the persona of their president Makani Christensen, a notorious xenophobic Shark hater and Fish killer. As long as they can promote their hypocritical agendas, they just don't care who says what and whether what they do and claim is truthful or even legal.

Here's what our wise and anonymous Hawaiian has to say about the contribution to the safety of Hawaii's beaches by the fishermen and the spearos like Makani and about the hypocrisy of those who single out the Shark viewing industry.

BAN LOGIC #2: Shark tourism must be banned because it creates a public safety hazard.

SMELL TEST A: Many fishing activities put bait in the water, often greatly in excess of the amount of bait used by shark viewing operations.
These fishing activities attract sharks, and in many cases attract them to nearshore areas where recreational activities such as snorkeling and surfing occur. Fishermen often dump excess bait, cleaned fish carcasses, etc. at harbor entrances as they return to port.

• Has this government body banned or regulated use of bait or dumping of bait and carcasses by fishermen?
• Is there enforcement of the laws and regulations that apply to these practices?

SMELL TEST B: Shark cage tours have never been associated with a shark attack in Hawaii.
On the other hand, surfing, spearfishing, and offshore swimming have all led to shark attacks in Hawaii. Spearfishing has been known to precipitate attacks on persons nearby who were not participating in the spearfishing activity. Surfing is statistically the activity most likely to produce a shark attack in Hawaii.

• Does the proposed legislation include surfing, spearfishing, and offshore swimming among the activities to be banned?

SMELL TEST C: The shark species viewed at Hawaii cage diving operations (Sandbar and Galapagos sharks) have NEVER been implicated in attacks on humans in Hawaii.
Furthermore, reports by University of Hawaii shark researchers and NOAA shark specialists conclude that there is no public safety hazard created by these tours and that the sharks do not follow boats to inshore areas or otherwise interact with recreational ocean users as a result of the tours.
On the other hand, pit bulls attack and maim or kill someone in Hawaii at least every year.

• Has this government body acted to ban or require sterilization of pit bulls, which are probably the most dangerous animals in Hawaii?

Once again: It stinks - and sadly, I'm not surprised!
Is this really the foundation upon which Ward wants to enact a Law?

Hawaii - the Choice

Gene Ward has a choice.

He has been handed what is effectively a political slam-dunk.
He could step up and declare that his efforts have yielded the following results

• The Law will be respected, as the Shark tour operators have agreed to abide by the Shark feeding ban and to facilitate its enforcement
• The Shark tour Industry and millions in tourism income have been saved
• A protracted and embarrassing fight that would tarnish the image of Hawaii has been averted

all of which would dovetail beautifully with the pragmatic, pro-business agenda of the GOP, and his personal involvement in the Small Business Caucus and Council.

Or, he could continue to allow other people to set the tone.
People like Fish killer and Shark hater Makani Christensen and the infamous Shark Task Force.
And people like this.



Did you hear that? From a state official?

In case you missed it, he has the chuzpah to pontificate about the "Ecological Impact" of Shark feeding!
His "concern" is "what does that (i.e. the feeding of Sharks) do to their population and what does that do to the parts of the ecosystem that they are supposed to be having an influence on".

The token expert, Mr. "no PhD" George Burgess trumpets into the same horn: "A third concern has been raised by environmentalists – how does daily shark feedings affect the ecological balance of Hawaiian waters? George Burgess, shark researcher at the University of Florida, ... fears that the feedings may attract so many sharks to those spots that sharks become scarce in other regions. This is naturally a large problem, since sharks are apex predators necessary for the overall balance of the ecosystems in which they exist."

Beg your pardon???
That's just stupid and hypocritical demagogy.
Here they go and whinge about an ecological non-event whilst ignoring the obvious Big Gorilla in the room, the wanton killing of Sharks by the commercial guys and the game fishermen.
That, and not two small Shark viewing operations, is what is depleting Shark populations and ultimately leading to the demise of Hawaii's reefs!

It's high time Mr. Honebrink started acting in line with the mission statement of the DLNR and made some real contribution towards "Enhancing, protecting, conserving and managing Hawaii’s unique and limited natural, cultural and historic resources held in public trust for current and future generations of visitors and the people of Hawaii nei in partnership with others from the public and private sectors."
That would also include taking on board the conclusions by the Meyer paper and stopping to stoke fears with populist and irrational arguments that have been amply disproved by scientific research!
And No, that paper has NOT been funded by the Shark viewing operators!
Guys, this is science, not politics!

But don't just trust me, an incendiary Industry insider.

Here's what a real Hawaiian got to say about this issue.
He's rightfully concerned about being attacked by the anti-Shark lynch mob and has asked me not to divulge his name. All I can tell you is that he's not in any way linked to the Industry and that he is highly respected and prominent!
This is part of a longer document applying "smell tests" to the various arguments thrown out by the anti-Industry propaganda - and yes, they stink!

BAN LOGIC #3: Shark tourism dangerously upsets the ecology of the ocean by changing the natural behavior of sharks.

SMELL TEST A: Sharks are undoubtedly vital to ocean ecology because of their role as apex predators. Because of their slow reproductive rates, sharks are not able to withstand any significant fishing effort. Shark populations in Hawaii, like shark populations around the world, appear to be declining.

• In order to preserve the ocean ecosystem has this legislative body banned shark fishing?
• Has it banned the sale and trans-shipment of sharks and shark products, such as fins?
• Has it supported and promoted the Shark-Free Marinas Initiative?
• Can this government body produce studies indicating that giving sharks small amounts of food disrupts their function as apex predators to a greater extent than does killing them?

SMELL TEST B: What has this government body done to address the major causes of marine ecosystem decline, including overfishing, overharvesting of marine ornamentals, terrestrial runoff, inadequate or nonexistent sewage treatment, overdevelopment of coastal areas, introduction and proliferation of exotic organisms, and overpopulation?

SMELL TEST C: Feeding of any wild or feral animal can be presumed to alter the functioning of the ecosystem in which that organism operates.

• Has this government body banned bird feeders?
• Has it banned the feeding of feral cats and turkeys?
• Are laws and regulations that affect these activities enforced?

SMELL TEST D: While any effect on ocean ecology from the provisioning in small quantities of sharks is speculative, massive damage to terrestrial environments and to populations of endemic species has been demonstrated as a result of the introduction of pigs, goats, mongoose, and other terrestrial animals. These three organisms have been shown to be responsible for the extinction of numerous endemic animals and plants.

• What has this government body done to effect the eradication of these proven damaging species?

SMELL TEST E: At various sites around Hawaii, people are feeding honu, or green sea turtles. In some cases, they are being fed fish, which is an unnatural food for these vegetarian creatures. In some cases they are being fed in marinas where the feeding attracts them into active boat channels and into areas frequented by tiger sharks, which feed on sea turtles. The turtles sometimes bite the hand that feeds them, resulting in some injuries.

Honu are a prominent amaukua. It would seem that this activity combines a disrespect of Hawaiian culture and religion, a public safety hazard, presumed harm to the organism being fed, and presumed harm to the functioning of the natural ecosystem.

• Have there been any hearings on this topic, proposed legislation by the bodies considering the shark tour ban, or action to enforce provisions of the Endangered Species Act that prohibit such activities?

ANTI-BAN LOGIC: The proposed shark tour bans are a non-logical response to a visceral fear of sharks induced largely by media hype, such as the programming on Discovery Channel’s Shark Week.
This is hysteria, and not good governance, as shown by the fact that the proposed bans affect only shark tours, and no similar activities.

Gene Ward would be well served in re-considering his associations.
Yes, I'm repeating myself!

Hawaii - It's the Economy, Stupid!

Not the only tourist attraction in Hawaii!

I've clearly retracted way too much.

As a consequence, I've deleted some important facts about the situation in Hawaii, the first one being this.

Kudos to Patric!
Contrary to yours truly and all the others who bitched and moaned but essentially did nothing, he took it onto himself to buy a plane ticket and personally go and try to mediate in a situation where the positions appeared to be completely irreconcilable.

Instead, he has managed to organize a meeting between the two Shark viewing operations and the rep. Gene Ward.
An understanding has been reached whereby the operators will desist from any chumming, baiting and feeding whereby Ward will refrain from any more attempts at shutting them down but limit his efforts to ensuring that the Shark feeding ban is being enforced.

Patric went to Hawaii because he's a good man - full stop.
Those who already whisper that he may just be pursuing some sinister self promoting agenda really ought to wash their mouths with carbolic soap and examine their own contribution in this matter!

But I'm digressing as usual.
Hopefully, everybody concerned will now stick to the script.
If so, the issue of enforcing the Law and curbing any Shark feeding is resolved and the impending legislative process just the final rubber stamping of facts that have already been created on the ground.
Yes, by all means, including installing surveillance video on the Shark tour boats!

What then remains is one thing, and one thing only: saving jobs and millions in tourism income.

VISITOR ARRIVAL DECLINES

The number of visitors arriving in Hawaii by air in October with the percentage change from the same month last year:

	VISITORS	PCT.
Domestic	190,215	-15.9%
International	122,923	-8.9%
Total	493,506	-13.5%
Overall total	* 511,518	-13.5%
By Island
Oahu	313,138	-13.3%
Kauai	75,119	-25.9%
Lanai	6,404	-29.7%
Maui	147,977	-20.5%
Molokai	4,672	-35.9%
Big Island	96,366	-19.7%

* Includes passengers arriving by ship

Source: Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism

This is the backdrop against which the Shark Task Force is rallying a lynch mob in the attempt to close down two thriving tourism businesses and preventing 40,000 annual tourists from enjoying looking at Sharks - on snorkel, 3 miles offshore and from the perfect safety of a cage.

How much would each of those persons contribute to Hawaii's ailing economy - in airfares, accommodation, meals, shopping, tours, shows?
Two thousand dollars? Three thousand? More?
You do the math.

Yes that's somewhere between 40 and 80 million bucks in Tourism revenues!

I'm sure Gene Ward understands the implications.

Gene Ward - call back the Hound Dogs!

A day's catch in Hawaii. No effect on Shark behavior? Not a public hazard? And the Ecosystem?

You may have noticed that I've retracted a recent series of posts about the situation in Hawaii.

I did so after Patric from Shark Divers traveled to the islands and met with the two local Shark operators and the representative Gene Ward.
Ward is spearheading a populist movement aimed at shutting down the Shark tours but on that meeting, he assured everybody that he was not anti-business but merely wanted to enforce the law that prohibits Shark feeding in state and federal waters.

The Shark operators have no problem with not feeding the Sharks.
The Shark populations they visit on their tours three miles off the coast are resident Galapagos and Sandbar Sharks that aggregate there in response to the activities of crab fishermen. Whether anybody feeds them or not, that's where they now live - and not on the coast where all Shark attacks in Hawaii have occurred, incidentally NOT perpetrated by those species.

Since everybody involved in that private meeting seemed to agree on the way forward, I decided to facilitate the upcoming town hall meeting by desisting from any more "inflammatory" comments. I've watched a (painfully boring - the things one ends up doing for the "cause"...) video of the meeting and true to his word, Ward has kept most of his comments centered on the issue of legality.
The law of course is bad and based on faulty assumptions - but I guess that's another fight for another day.

So far so good.
What is not good are Ward's attack dog Makani Christensen and their Shark Task Force, a recent re-enactment of the venerable State of Hawaii Shark Task Force. Contrary to their predecessor that united community leaders, scientists, government officials and other stakeholders, this is a pure Shark hate group.
They are aligned with safewatersforhawaii a local clone of the infamous anti-Industry CDNN (compare the "Myth vs Truth" section!) and stopsharkfeedinginhawaii and have literally thrown the kitchen sink at anything and anybody related to Shark viewing - from stoking fears that Shark viewing might lead to more Shark attacks, to "concerns" about the likely effects on the Sharks and the ecosystem (George Burgess - shame on you!), to claiming that it violates the sensitivity of native Hawaiians.

All of the above is of course rubbish (was that "inflammatory"?) and I shall be posting a series of excerpts from a document by a wise, and anonymous (which proves that he's wise!) Hawaiian debunking them in non-inflammatory lingo.

For the time being, read this.
It's an eye witness account I received one week ago by "somebody" spearfishing on one of the Hawaiian islands.

XXX and I went snorkeling, and he was free-diving down to the bottom (~50 feet) to spear various fishes.

XXX is an incredible free-diver -- he casually drops down to 50 feet, stalks the fish for a while, then usually nails his target perfectly with a 3-prong spear. Anyway, on one dive down, he and I both saw a 4-foot white-tip shark swimming by, and neither of us gave it much concern.
But then I saw a good-sized grey-reef shark come up from behind a rock where XXX couldn't see it. I was up at the surface, holding a mesh bag with all the bleeding/dying/thrashing fish . The shark circled around the rock and came up behind XXX, just inches above his right shoulder.

I saw XXX taking aim at a Uhu, and I yelled at him through my snorkel, "Don't shoot! Don't shoot!".
He didn't see the shark right behind him, so when he heard me yelling, he thought I was saying "Uhu! Uhu!", like I was cheering him on. So he shot the Uhu and the shark went nuts (the white-tip had left -- only the grey-reef was still there). It bolted around in front of XXX where the thrashing uhu was at the end of XXXs spear. I thought for sure XXX would see the shark at that point, but apparently he somehow missed it, because he casually swung the spear around bringing the fish to his chest, so he could hold on to it while he swam back up to the surface.

The shark was thrashing around back where XXX had shot the Uhu, then started following up the blood trail right behind XXXs fins.
As he was kicking upward, the tips of his fins were almost smacking the shark in the face. I kept yelling "XXX! XXX! Shark! Shark!", but he didn't seem to notice. Finally, when he was abould half-way up, he looked at me and I pointed vigorously behind him. He turned *just* in time to kick the shark off as it was charging him from behind. XXX kept kicking it off all the way to the surface, bringing himself, the speared Uhu, and the shark up to me.

I immediately held the mesh bag with the bloody fish out of the water above my head, and XXX tried to do the same with the Uhu; but the fish was too heavy and it bent his carbon-fiber spear over and the Uhu was flopping at the surface.
This only amped up the shark even more and he charged XXX again, and XXX kicked it off. Then it charged me, and I had to kick it off (the blood was dripping down from the mesh back I was holding). XXX quickly got the Uhu off his spear and offered it up to the obviously hungry shark, but the shark didn't see it floating on the surface, and it kept charging us -- first XXX then me, then back to XXX, then back to me, etc.

At about this time, I noticed XXX was laughing in his snorkel.
As soon as I noticed that, I suddenly realized that I had been (and still was) laughing in my snorkel also. I guess it's just a weird sort of reaction we both had -- and it was a funny scene, in retrospect. The shark turned away and headed for the Uhu, now a few feet away from XXX and I (as we were both back-peddling towards the boat).

But the shark somehow missed the Uhu, then turned back again for us.
There was a big green cloud of blood below the Uhu, and the shark swam right through it. I expected the shark to turn and eat the dying Uhu, but instead it got even more excited and charged both XXX and I again. XXX kicked it off, then I kicked it off, and finally it found the Uhu, and took the entire thing into its mouth (except the tail), in one gulp.

XXX and I both saw it glide down back to the bottom, with the uhu tail sticking out of its mouth. I stopped laughing long enough to say "I think we might want to get back in the boat now"; and this only made XXX laugh harder. It was a very strange thing -- because it was both nerve-wracking and extremely funny at the same time.

After hopping back in the boat again for a few minutes, we both jumped back in the water and continued hunting for fish.
We figured that the shark was now well-fed, and wouldn't bother us anymore. I did see it swim by later on, but it never came close. All the same, I left the mesh bag in the boat, rather than carry it around.

Aloha,

Interesting huh.
Equally interesting that Ward's proposed legislative amendment to the Shark feeding ban includes the following exemption, and I cite.

c. Persons, including commercial and recreational fishermen, engaged in the taking of marine life that results in captured, injured, or dead fish being incidentally eaten by sharks shall not be considered in violation of this section...

Well well.
So who, exactly, is feeding the Sharks close to shore and (for the sake of the -wrong- argument) "teaching them to associate humans with food"? Maybe spearfishermen like Ward's very own Makani?
How many incidents like the one above happen inshore every day - and what do the Sharks learn in the process?

Ward may indeed not know this, but Mr. Christensen sure does: EVERYBODY from Florida to the Pacific to Oz knows that wherever there's regular spearfishing, the Sharks will start circling as soon as anybody enters the water and come charging in when they hear the sound of a speargun - to the point where some dive operators carry around speargun triggers to lure in Sharks!

Gene, it may be OK to try and enforce the law - although I'm sure that the state of Hawaii is facing more pressing problems right now.
What is not OK is to be perceived as an anti-business, anti-tourism demagogue pandering to unfounded and irrational fear and being abused by fanatics who are pushing self serving agendas right from your very own office.

Please, pull back the hound dogs.