A new study shows shark-related diving in Florida is a growing business, generating some $221 million annually for shops and other providers.
The Oceana-commissioned study about the impact of shark diving in Florida finds nearly one-third of divers in the state want to see sharks. It also puts into numbers the impact of the activity in the state, indicating for example that these encounters fuel 3,700 jobs, with wages of more than $116 million.
According to the study, the total economic impact of shark encounters is around $377 million.
Lora Snyder, campaign director of Oceana, says the study illustrates the animals' economic value as overfishing and especially finning continue to threaten sharks.
Finning is banned in the United States, but fishermen can remove fins from dead sharks after returning to port. Florida like most states allows fins to be bought and sold.
Congressional legislation would ban that, too.
