TAMPA, Fla. -- A St. Petersburg lawmaker says that he plans to introduce a bill that bans shark-feeding dives off the Florida coast.

Legislator Charlie Justice, who is a Democrat on the House Tourism Committee, says that he's concerned about both the safety and the perceptions of tourists and residents.

Folks who run the shark-feeding dives say that Justice is off-base. They say that no one has ever been attacked while taking part.

But Justice and others say that anytime sharks can associate people with food, there's a potential problem. The state already bans alligator feeding, and Justice says the same principle applies.

Well before the summer's wave of shark attacks, state officials were working on regulations for shark feeding.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will consider new rules at a meeting early next month.