From: michaelh@altair.net.hawaii.edu (Michael Hoffhines)
Subject: Re: more on sharks - a backward step for Hawaii?
Followup-To: sci.environment
Organization: University of Hawaii
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 22:31:42 GMT


I wrote:
MH> In fact, I would encourage Mr. Dodd who posted the flame that started

Mr. Dodd replied:
SD> I merely commented on a previous post.

My apologies to Steve Dodd for any perceived mis-attribtions on my part.
I took the following comment in his reply to G. Ryan's original post 
on this subject:
SD>  [Been out of the water too long and I feel a flame rising]
To mean that he was interested in starting a flame and not in preventing
one. My mistake.

In any case, and at the risk of straying from strictly rec.scuba subject
matter, there are a couple of points in SD's post which I feel miss
the mark as regards to the for-want-of-a-better-name "Hawaii Shark  
Eradication Program."

SD> They need to show how they are going to erradicate these species of
SD> sharks when there are probably millions of others waiting one notch
SD> further out at sea.
Eradication of _species_ is not the issue and certainly couldn't be done
on the 200k proposed or the 150k allocated budget. Rather, the proposal
is to reduce the _inshore_ presence of certain species of sharks in  
Hawaiian waters. In addition, the allocation of monies has yet to be  
determined meaning that some of it may well go into research rather than  
paying bounty on each fin returned by fisherman. No doubt the calls and
letters of concerned divers and other users of Hawaii's waters can  
influence the direction of the reseach.

SD> The Japanese are reportedly catching millions a year for
SD> shark fin soup out of the same Oceans.  It is amazing one hung out
SD> around Hawaii long enough to kill anyone.
While it has not been reported in other than the local media as far as
I know, it is likely that another shark fatality, this one on O'ahu,
occurred earlier this year. Since no body parts were recovered the 
cause of death was officially left as an exercise for the reader.

SD> Perhaps the Hawaiian government should ask the Japanese to come pick 
SD> the others up.
Yes, the Japanese consume a lot of sharks. But if they provide the market,
the American fisherman are increasingly providing the raw materials. Its
a very lucrative market and if US fisherman are overfishing US waters
(as the declining catch on the East Coast indicates) then we must share
the blame. In addition, many fisherman consider sharks competition and  
routinely shoot them on sight (fisherman tend to behave similarly with  
respect to dolphins as well). Let's clean up our own very dirty backyard  
before we bash the neighbors. 

SD> Hawaii stands in the middle of the deep.
Paraphrasing the VP, eh? :-)

SD> Oceanic sharks of these
SD> species are found in all the surrounding areas clear accross the
SD> Pacific.  I not olny do not think they can do it, I don't even think
SD> they can study it for that amount of money.  Perhaps spending the
SD> money will give comfort to some.
Indeed, I don't think that there is any doubt that the motivation for
introducing the initial request was done out of sympathy for the local
woman that died and a fear that increasing shark attacks would be very
bad for tourism. Another legacy of the eighties - appearance is every-
thing.

- Mike

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 Michael Hoffhines             | INTERNET: michaelh@uhunix.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu
 University of Hawaii          | Nomen est numen!? NOT!
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