Bronze whalers are common around Waiheke Island, and while a shark expert says they don't normally target people, some situations can bring them into close contact with people. Photo: NIWA
Some Waiheke Island residents are concerned by the practice of feeding sharks in one of the island's busy bays.
Waiheke ocean swimmer Francisco Blaha said feeding the sharks in Matiatia Bay unnecessarily raises the risk of a shark attack for people in the water nearby.
Matiatia Bay is the main entry point to the island and used by ferries, swimmers, kayakers and people in boats.
"There's no need to do it, that's my main thing," Blaha said.
"You are feeding a wild animal for no other reason than your own pleasure and that could potentially have consequences for other people.
Blaha has a background in Fisheries science and has worked as a fisheries advisor around the world for decades.
He said in many instances, fishing boats do this intentionally to entice sharks closer so people can take photos, despite being close to moorings and the beach.
"It's good for you or perhaps good for your business and it's great to have the ferry stop to take pictures, but that's not thinking about other users who use the marine environment.
"Of course it's spectacular, you see sharks on the surface ripping up guts to pieces in between them but this is inside the bay, it's not the place to do it.
"I don't think it's done with malice at all, I'm not trying to point fingers here to anyone. My only concern is that there's things people don't think about - so my only concern is that people are aware that this is happening."
RNZ spoke to another local who wished not to be identified who said it was a matter of time before someone is harmed.
Shark expert Clinton Duffy said attacks in New Zealand are incredibly rare, statistically there's less than one per year.
He said the sharks people are feeding in Matiatia Bay will most likely be bronze whalers, a species that's not typically dangerous towards humans.
"There's very few attacks by bronze whalers on people in New Zealand and these animals have become habituated towards humans," Duffy said.
"Bronze whalers, while they are a large shark that can get to around three metres long and couple of hundred kilos, they're fish eaters so they specialise on feeding on mullet, snapper, trevally and other small sharks."
Duffy said sharks can develop learned behaviour and will begin to associate people and their boats with an easy meal.
"In general it's not a good idea to discharge fish offal and encourage sharks to feed in areas where there other water users.
"In this case, it's been going on for so long it doesn't seem to be presenting any particular risk to people on Waiheke.
"Bronze whalers will however become aggressive towards spear fishermen and they will compete with spear fishermen for their catch, and people can be bitten in those circumstances.
"But in general, they don't present any real risk to people in the water."
Blaha said he has encountered many sharks while swimming at Waiheke, predominantly bronze whalers, however he's also swum past mako and hammerheads too.
"You have more chances to be run over by a car walking to the beach than being attacked by a shark, but this isn't the point I'm trying to make," Blaha said.
"By definition, feeding attracts sharks that are motivated to feed, and by having people and sharks in proximity raises this risk of an attack."
Veteran television angler Adam Clancy said he has documented people feeding sharks in Matiatia Bay and that people are often wasting perfectly edible parts.
"Serious anglers will take their catch home and prepare it at home and utilise as much of the fish they've caught," he said.
"It is definitely frowned upon to leave frames around jetties and boat ramps, that's not good.
He said there was another issue fishers weren't taking into account when they fillet fish before reaching the shore.
"When you return to shore, if the fisheries inspectors are there you have to prove the size of your catch and species that you've caught to prove you haven't caught too many.
"By throwing them away you're putting yourself at risk of being prosecuted."
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