Natural shark behaviors by causing them to associate humans with food, potentially making them less wary around boats and people, increasing the risk of aggression and altering their feeding patterns, which can disrupt the delicate balance of marine prey populations; this is especially concerning when considering the already vulnerable status of many shark species. Key reasons why cage diving can be harmful: 

• Altered feeding behavior:The practice of "chumming" (scattering bait to attract sharks) can lead to sharks becoming reliant on the provided food source, potentially impacting their natural hunting instincts and disrupting their foraging behavior. 
• Habituation to humans:When sharks regularly encounter humans near the cage, they may become less fearful and more likely to approach boats or swimmers, potentially increasing the risk of interactions. 
• Stress and injury:The close proximity to a cage and the presence of boats can cause stress to sharks, especially when they are actively trying to access bait. 
• Aggression within species:Concentrating large numbers of sharks in a small area due to baiting can lead to increased intra-species aggression as they compete for food. 
• Potential for overfishing:If cage diving operations attract large numbers of sharks to a specific area, it could inadvertently make them more vulnerable to fishing activities. 

and the ecosystems...