WAILUKU, Maui — The Maui County Council's Economic Development, Agriculture and Recreation Committee has voted unanimously to recommend passage of a bill banning shark tour businesses.

Council members said feeding sharks for entertainment was offensive to Native Hawaiians, and expressed concern the practice could change sharks' natural behavior. They said they planned to pass the ban before any shark tour businesses could open on Maui like some have on O'ahu.

"We want to stop it before it occurs," said council member Wayne Nishiki, who introduced the measure.

The bill is expected to come before the full County Council for first reading on Aug. 25.

While the county government doesn't have authority over activities that happen off-shore, the bill would regulate the business side of shark tours, prohibiting any business that charges customers to enter the ocean to feed or attract sharks for viewing from operating within Maui County.

Committee members voted 5-0 to endorse the ban.

"I believe the commercialization of a religious symbol that's so important to the host culture is inappropriate," said council member Mike Molina.

Council member Sol Kahoohalahala said he was concerned the ocean and other natural resources were being stressed by commercial activities.

"We now view them as economic resources," he said. "We've lost sight of the fact that they're really part of the ecosystem."

Council members heard testimony urging support of the ban.

Lifeguard Tamara Paltin said the county should take a stand against the practice before it becomes an issue.

"To me, it's common sense legislation, and it's proactive," she said.

Kahu Charles Kauluwehi Maxwell Sr. reminded council members that many Native Hawaiians honor sharks as 'aumakua, or guardian spi- rits, and said treating the animals as entertainment was invasive and disrespectful.

"Any time you organize a tour to look at the mano (shark), you're disturbing their environment," he said.

Renee Umberger of the Maui Nui Marine Resource Council said her group supported a ban on tours that feed or chum to attract sharks, but didn't want to see the law prohibit dive tours that may seek a more natural way of viewing the animals.

Umberger, who owns a dive tour business, said some dive tours intentionally visit spots that are known to be frequented by sharks in the hopes of catching a glimpse of the ocean predators, and said those operations were "neither harmful nor disrespectful to sharks."

But Kahoohalahala was skeptical, saying it could be disruptive for tours to "pursue" sharks.

"If the purpose is to leave these animals in their pristine, natural environment, then there should be no pursuing," he said.