A shark tour crewman has been cited for allegedly chumming in state waters on the North Shore to attract sharks.

Officers of the Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement cited Marden Ribeiro of North Shore Shark Adventures for shark feeding.

The violation is a petty misdemeanor.

Just before 10:30 a.m. Thursday, conservation enforcement officers were monitoring fishing activities on the first day of the akule season off of Haleiwa on the North Shore.

During that time, officers witnessed a crew member later identified as Ribeiro of Pupukea aboard a commercial vessel operated by the shark tour company. He was allegedly holding a bucket and chumming the water by throwing fish into the ocean, according to a news release by the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Several sharks appeared soon appeared.

The state agency said the vessel, Isao, was in state waters at the time.

State law prohibits feeding sharks in state waters which extend three miles from shore. Exceptions are made for cultural or religious practices, “provided the feeding is not part of a commercial activity.”

Jason Redulla, acting chief of the Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement, said, “The safety of everyone who uses our ocean resources continues to be a high priority for DOCARE. State law recognizes that sharks are dangerous and prohibits feeding them in state waters to discourage activities that may increase the risk of conflicts with people.”