I, too, have problems with baiting fish. I'm an avid scuba diver, and go to Cozumel at least once every year. Feeding fish used to be commonly practised, and I have a video of a giant moray eel rubbing against my dive buddy looking for food. The practice was banned several years ago after an eel, looking for food, bit another diver.

Even more scary, and still being practiced, is the shark feedig at the Blue Hole, of Jaques Cousteau fame, in Belize. I was diving the Blue Hole, while Ruth, who had been newly certified and was not qualified to dive to 130 feet, snorkeled with others. As I was coming up slowly, I saw quite a few sharks, mostly reef sharks, but also a few bulls--yes the ones that kill more people than all other species combined--milling about and circling us. As I surfaced, I saw splashing all around a nearby boat.

The crew had been feeding the sharks, working them into a frenzy, while the snorkelers on my boat, including a 6 year old girl, were in the water nearby. They aborted their snorkeling and scrambled to get back on board. It;s only a matter of time before someone is hurt or killed.

No, as much as I would love to be up close and personal with a great white shark, I do not think there is ANY legitimate justification for feeding wild animals or fish for the entertainment of tourists.

I feel the same way about feeding stingrays at Stingray City and capturing dolphins for dolphin encounters.

My point is that the shark boats off the coast of Gansbaai, leave a chum slick, which is entirely different to feeding the sharks, no food is passed on. No feeding frenzy is enticed. It is a MOOT point.

I am happy to agree and share the sentiments on baiting and feeding, both are destructive and lead to death.

I used to be a nicotine addict. Now and then, my wife goes outside to have a cigarette. I follow her and enjoy the whiff of cigarette smoke, but with no wish to light up myself. I guess there may exist other nicotine addicts who would mug the smoker or even hop in the car and perform a ram-raid on the biggest tobacconist's store they can find

John