shark management?

[ddown]

Been diving around indonesia and had a few run ins with sharks-which is somewhat novel for me, though getting to be less so. Mostly they have been white/black tip and/or spinner sharks. Often when I'm aspetto on the bottom the sharks swim right up to my face and only move when I move or put the tip in their faces. this is when I SEE them. are they a theat at all? I know there are pretty defined behaviors of an aggressive shark (pectorals/arched back) but I'm wondering what would happen if I didn't respond-if they came up from behind to check me out with a fish on my belt. moreover what's the argument on belt stringer vs. float? My understanding is if I have a fish on a float and the taxman takes it they will start to associate spearo sounds with a freebie, let alone starting off a feeding frenzy right off the bat? Is carrying the fish on my belt and fending them off the best play-so as to discourage further tax collecting? I've had one bump me already but luckily made it in with no worries. What are experiences/techniques out there???

[No I'm Josh]

Hi Ddown. We have a lot of sharks around here and are often confronted by them. Here in Tahiti you can get away with having fish on your belt but definitely not in the outer atolls where everything is more plentiful. Out there you HAVE to get the fish out of the water in to a floating bucket out of the way of the taxman, as you put it. I wouldn't worry about black/white tips and their display behavior but don't know about spanner sharks. Here we have grey reef sharks that will take fish out of your hands (not cool). I was just in Thailand where I got some nice fish and kept them on my belt. In murky water it's creepy keeping your fish close to you. If you've had one bump you already that sounds like reason enough to keep dead fish away from you. If you want to be sure to keep your fish put them in a floating bucket.

[deckhandmike]

Floating bucket? Sorry I'm from CA, how do rig up your bucket? Is it just a innertube and a 5 gallon? Just curious.

[Marco]

I wont carry fishes in my belt in shark populated waters. Not even in a float stringer. Get them out of the water.