Regular divers know that to share the water with a shark is a great privilege, particularly if the encounter is more than a fleeting glance of a tail fin disappearing into the blue. Divers know that most sharks are wary of bubble-blowing visitors to their realm and will, generally, keep their distance. While accidents do occasionally occur, they are incredibly rare.

But while scuba divers would all agree of the majestic nature of the animals, the importance of maintaining a healthy respect for their apex status and the fact that most interactions will pass without incident, there is a practice used in shark diving that continues to divide opinion: baited dives.

The practice has been adopted, in the most part, for recreational divers, to bring the sharks in closer. Some believe the practice to be harmful to sharks (as well as increasing the likelihood of human injury), while others insist the practice is an important tool for maintaining and protecting certain shark populations.

A study published in July 2013 in Marine Policy reported that approximately 100 million sharks are killed every year. This number is clearly unsustainable and continuance of the practice could have a catastrophic effect on marine ecosystems. We, as humans, have a vested interest in the preservation of the ocean’s top predator, our lives on land intertwined with the health of the ocean. But how we go about bringing awareness to the world about the need to preserve shark populations remains a matter of controversy.

Those opposed to the practice of baiting believe isolated shark populations could undergo behavioural changes and become accustomed to being fed rather than hunt. Furthermore, the association of humans with feeding/food could have dangerous consequences, as could the association of a particular area/reef with food. Are local swimmers and divers at greater risk as a result of the practice? Shark conservation efforts could also be undermined, local fisherman taking advantage of a tame catch. Opponents of baiting practices also levy the accusation that dive operators are exploiting sharks for financial gain, charging tourists sizeable fees for the experience of a lifetime.

Tourism, however, is one of the primary arguments for shark baiting. Some reefs that were once fished to near desolation are now protected, the local fishermen now making their living as dive guides and operators. It is estimated that a shark’s value at market is about $150. That same shark, kept alive as a ‘tourist attraction’, has a value of approximately $2 million over the course of its lifetime.

Advocates further suggest that baited dives allow underwater photographers to capture compelling imagery – imagery that would be significantly harder to capture without the use of a bait bin. Captivating images are a critical part of effective conservation, making baiting an important tool. Allowing divers – along with the aforementioned professional photographers – to participate in baited dives helps dispel the myth that sharks are bloodthirsty killers. In truth, sharks are intelligent and graceful animals.