WAILUKU — Maui County has no tours available for visitors to plunge into the ocean and watch sharks cruise by from the safety of submerged cages.

And County Councilman Wayne Nishiki wants to make sure such an activity doesn't come here.
“I think we need to take precautions,” he said, adding that he’s concerned that if shark tours become established in Maui waters, then surfers, swimmers and everyone else who enjoys the ocean could be endangered.
Nishiki said he particularly objects to outsiders coming to Maui to exploit a business opportunity without regard for the lifestyle or safety of residents.
“All they're interested in is the big buck and that's it,” he said yesterday.
Nishiki said he’s seeking a county ordinance that would ban shark tours in Maui County. He said the county has the power to do so by blocking business licenses for the activity.
The South Maui council member introduced the shark tour prohibition during a meeting yesterday. The matter was referred to the council's Economic Development, Agriculture and Recreation Committee, chaired by Jo Anne Johnson.
Nishiki said that although he would like the state Legislature to pass a ban, he doesn’t know how long it will take for the state to take action.
Nishiki's proposal included a copy of a Honolulu City Council resolution urging the passage and enforcement of state legislation to ban commercial shark-viewing tours and related activities.
He said he didn’t want to see the Maui County Council pass only a resolution because it would not have the force and effect of law.
Shark-viewing tours attract paying customers on Oahu’s North Shore, but there’s a growing statewide movement to stop the tours from operating. Some Native Hawaiians consider sharks to be ancestral gods, and they find it offensive to have tourists feeding and viewing them for entertainment.
Surfers and environmentalists worry that shark tours might have the ocean predators linking people with food, and scientists say luring sharks to certain areas could disrupt the ecological balance in near-shore waters.