Shark Spotter's Case Study

The local shark spotter’s case study states that there is no scientific evidence that chumming is the cause for the increased amount of sharks on Cape Town shores.

According to the shark spotters case study they have been researching the relation between shark behavior and chumming since 1998 and still there is no official evidence that chumming is affecting our local sea life in reference to the shark attacks near the shores. Although the case study does state, “some degree of conditioning may occur between white sharks and chumming when operators do not comply with the regulations and allow sharks to feed on their bait.” With this being said, surely if there is even a slight notice that it might be connected, they cant rule it out completely that it might be a possibility. Shark Spotters, 2012. Shark-based tourism and encounters. [online] Available at: http://sharkspotters.org.za/information/shark–based-toursim-encounters [accessed: 21 April 2012]

OWUSS North America, 2010. Vivian, a spotter for Shark Spotters. [image online] Available at: http://owussnorthamerica.org/?p=238 [accessed 21 April 2012]

By receiving the bait on the other end of the hook, sharks perceive this as an easy meal and then are attracted to the boats, which is positive for the shark cage diving, so the boats continue to do so. This is against regulations though and therefore if regulated initially it should mean that it originally caused problems when it wasn’t regulated.

The case study states again that operators of boats tend to ignore the regulations, “some operators not complying with the permit regulations and repeatedly feeding sharks…” so this proves that there is excess chum in the ocean.  Shark Spotters, 2012. Shark-based tourism and encounters. [online] Available at: http://sharkspotters.org.za/information/shark–based-toursim-encounters [accessed: 21 April 2012]

It seems as though this case study is considering the tourism side to things, rather than the people at risk of the excess chumming, making it biased.

This affects the social environment around it negatively as it is giving a one sided view on chumming, leaving the shark attacks unexplained and not providing any evidence that chumming isn’t the cause.

Adventure4Ever.com, 2000. Great White Shark Gansbaai [image online] Available at: http://adventure4ever.photoshelter.com/image/I0000R.s_8zNSi.0 [accessed 21 April 2012]