Updates

Jan/2010 - Senator Gabbard proposes Bill SB2330. Read the bill

Honolulu Advertiser article about the City Councils decision to defer the ban and pass it over to State Legislature.

Honolulu Advertiser article about how more and more religion influences Politics in Hawaii, and how this is fueling the shark tour controversy

“Bait and Kill vs. Bait and View” – article by Bryce Groark from the Big Island (Living Oceans Productions)

Shark Attack – article by Scott Suzuki Jones, Honolulu Weekly

Here is an approximate time line of the ongoing saga :

1. March-2009 Rogue commercial shark diving operation decides to open cage diving operations Hawaii Kai neighbourhood and kicks off a political brush fire.

2. April-2009 Incorrectly sensing a political gain, Rep Gene Ward uses this regional back lash to propose legislation to prohibit all shark diving in Hawaii.

3. April-2009 Several dubious and linked anti-shark diving websites spring up with loose ties to Cyber Diver Network, and Rep Gene Wards office.

4. May-2009 Long term U of H shark study by Carl Meyer et al shows sharks that are being interacted with 3 miles off shore are not habituating to vessels and following them back into shore as was charged by Rep Wards "Shark Taskforce." Wards office decides to ignore and discredit the study as bogus science, stirring up further controversy.

5. August-2009 Meetings are held with the commercial operators and Rep Gene Ward, pressure in the form of pro-shark diving business owners call Wards office, the theme of "it's the economy stupid" resonates.

6. August-2009 Maui City Council members watching Rep Gene Wards grandstanding, decide to ban shark diving. Shark diving that does not exists on Maui at this time. As one person states "they might as well ban time travel as well."

7. September-2009 Maui's bill passes.

8. September-2009 Rep Gene Ward, sensing a hard political fight over the commercial shark diving issue, punts local issue of banning cage diving on Oahu down to Oahu City Council members.

9. September-2009 Oahu City Council members propose bill, receive sharp backlash from community, they quickly realize this is a "no win" bill on many levels.

10. October-2009 Oahu City Council members throw bill out and refer the entire issue of commercial shark diving and the fate of 40,000 seasonal shark diving tourists back to the state.

11. 1/21/10 Senator Gabbard submits SB2330 "Prohibits the use of state boating facilities and state parks for shark tours. Prohibits the use or transportation of diving cages used for placing humans in close proximity with sharks. Authorizes the issuance of permits for educational, scientific, or propagation purposes."