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Posted: Thursday, October 5th, 2006 5:12 AM HST

Officials, Oahu community to look at limiting shark tours

By Associated Press

HONOLULU (AP) _ Federal officials will be meeting with community members on the North Shore of Oahu tonight to discuss the possibility of limiting local shark tours in federal waters off Hawaii. State law bans commercial operations from feeding sharks in state waters, which extend three miles from shore. The law doesn't prohibit shark viewing activities that don't involve feeding the fish. Some scuba divers and fishermen have complained that the tours are attracting more sharks to near shore waters in the area. But the tour operators say they are doing nothing wrong and the sharks stay where they belong out in the deeper waters. Discussion topics today will include putting a moratorium on new shark tour operations and banning the tours in federal waters. (Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved)