No more chumming for great white sharks

It's been a popular sport for thrill-seeking divers and even photo-snapping tourists here and abroad. Toss chunks of fish and blood in the water and wait for great whites to show up. But it will no longer be permitted around the Farallon Islands off San Francisco under a new management plan for three marine sanctuaries off Central California.

Such chumming was abolished years ago off Año Nuevo State Natural Reserve just south of San Francisco, a place frequented by the sharks and marine mammals of various kinds. Beside the seals and sea lions, surfers also take to these waters. Understandably they objected to the practice of teaching white sharks to associate humans with blood and chunks of fish in the water. These waters, after all, are known as the "Bloody Triangle" or "Red Triangle" for the concentrations of humans and white sharks that have brought about a legacy of shark attacks. The triangle roughly covers the waters from Santa Cruz to Bodega Bay  and reaching offshore to the Farallones.

Under the extensive new rules, federal officials also forbid attracting seabirds by tossing food in the water, as well as other kinds of sea life. Tour boats will have to remain a respectful 55 yards away when white sharks feed on elephant seas, as they go there to do. That'll make it harder to get a close-up shot, but managers say that whites have been seen abandoning a kill when boats venture too close.

Some researchers and others have used seal-shaped decoys that lie passively on the water's surface to attract sharks. Once the new regulations go into effect in mid-March, such decoys would only be allowed by special permit.

-- Kenneth R. Weiss

Photo: Great white shark; Credit: Scot Anderson

Comments

[Sean R. Van Sommeran]

Researchers in California pioneered the technique of tagging and photo identification of white sharks without chumming and feeding white sharks.

Kevins assertion that researchers are big violators of the 'dont feed the animals' conventional wisdom and current regulations is at best misinformed.

Through the use of lures and natural bait (never presented of fed to sharks) researchers in California have been able to attach a work record number of transmitters as well as shatter the mis-notion that white sharks were coastal predators instead of the deep sea, open ocean predators that they are.

There have been conflicts of interest between certain individuals within the sports diving industry that have been displeased with white shark caging and chumming prohibitions that were largely promulgated by naturalists working at sites targeted by extreme sports enthusiasts; Kevin's misinformation may have originated from that quater, regardless; the fact is that researchers do not chum for or feed the sharks during the conduction of their field research.

As well, rumors and smear campaigns alleging that the PSRF or other researchers were fined $21,000 is likewise false, that effort was defeated, the research continues and now Farallones has similar protections as does Monterey Bay.

For further information check out PSRF's website:

WWW.PELAGIC.ORG

Cheers,
Sean

S. R. Van Sommeran
Executive Director/CEO
The Pelagic Shark Research Foundation
831-459-9346
psrf@pelagic.org
WWW.PELAGIC.ORG
Santa Cruz California
Since 1990

[Chloe Wright]

This is great news.

Ealier this year through The Shark Trust based here in the UK I adopted a Great White by the name of Cut-Tail, who has been a regular visitor to the Farallon Islands.

Its good to know that he and the other sharks along with the rest of the native wildlife will be left in peace and they go about their daily lifes without the interference of humans.

Please go on the website for the Shark Trust and sign their online petition regarding overfishing and finning in the EU. The address is www.sharktrust.org/petition.

Chloe Wright North Yorkshire UK

[Kevin]

It's about time! The fact that it took this long for such legislation to happen is a little frightening, and the fact is there are still many more areas that need similar laws. How can anyone say with a straight face that chumming or feeding large, dangerous species of sharks does not increase danger to humans and does not increase the risk of shark/human interactions? And listen, these laws should not be limited to commercial enterprises... scientific research are big violators of these activities, and I believe also pose serious dangers when they partake in chumming and feeding large sharks.
Sincerely,
Kevin Harris
sharkconspiracies.net

[Sharky]

Most people who go to the Farallones looking for sharks with companies are upset anyway. The companies that operate there know there's little chance of seeing an actual shark but they take peoples $800 anyway.

Great White Adventures Rip Off
well, for those who do not know....THEY DO NOT CHUM!!!! that would pretty much guarntee a sighting, but they are not permitted to in that area. so, you are taking a chance with this trip. You have to know it upfront. from what i can see, most people dont see anything though they advertise 80% success rate. I highly doubt it. the other factor is weather conditions. Oct in SF...expect rain and storms. they will cancel your trip if that happens.
If it isnt too bad, you still go, but the chancxes of seeing a shark have just dropped from slim to none. basically you are paying $800 for a few hours on a boat, a cup of coffee and an apple.
Viewing the Farrollon Isles was worth is for my wife and I. we did get into the cage and enjoyed that....but the water was so murky and visibility was horrible.

If you really want to see great whites...look into galapagos islands or capetown S Africa.

If in hawaii (oahu), you can view other species (cage dive) for like $100 .

My wife and I will return to SF, but will not take this tour again.