Commercial Tour Crewman Charged with Shark Chumming

A crewman aboard a commercial shark diving boat was cited on Thursday for chumming the water to feed sharks off Haleiwa on O’ahu’s north shore.

Officials with the state Department of Land and Natural Resources say 35-year-old Marden Ribeiro of Pūpūkea was observed holding a bucket and chum the water by throwing fish into the ocean, which authorities say attracted several sharks.

The incident was reported at around 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 1, 2018.

He was aboard the Isao vessel, a commercial boat operated by North Shore Shark Adventures.

State officials say law prohibits the feeding of sharks in state waters to discourage activities that may increase the risk of conflicts with people.  There are narrow exceptions such as for cultural or religious practices, provided the feeding is not part of a commercial activity.

The violation is a petty misdemeanor that upon conviction, could have fines and jail time.  Ribeiro will be required to appear in Wahiawa District Court.