Seafood industry supports permits for shark tourism

The seafood industry welcomes the announcement by Conservation Minister Nick Smith on permits for shark cage tourism operators.

Commercial paua divers and other marine users are concerned that the burgeoning
shark cage tourism industry around Foveaux Strait may change the behaviour of great white sharks and increase the risk of shark attack.

The paua industry has, for many years, been urging government agencies and
responsible Ministers to work together to ensure that shark cage diving is safe for tourists, sharks, and other marine users.

“We applaud Dr Smith’s decision to require permits for shark cage dive tourism” says Storm Stanley, the chairman of the Paua Industry Council.

“The seafood industry supports innovative uses of the marine environment. Shark cage dive operators need clarity about expected standards for their operations. A permit system will help ensure that all marine users can continue to go safely about their business, confident that risks from shark cage diving are well managed.”

“It’s also good news for great white sharks. People can continue to experience
shark tourism, but any impacts on shark behaviour can be carefully monitored and managed, improving the protection of great white sharks,” Storm Stanley says.

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