'It's like Jaws': New Zealand town fears attack by great white sharks lured by cage divers

Residents of the far southern settlement of Oban, on Stewart Island, claim sharks are being attracted by tour operators who offer the ultimate in thrillseeking

At the South Seas hotel on Oban waterfront, the conversation, as it so often does, hovers over a subject that swims just a few kilometres from the town's shores: the great white shark.

"I love the sharks, they are magnificent creatures, but Jesus Christ we don't know enough about them to be out there feeding them - it's like fucking with a T-Rex with fins," says Richard "Squizzy" Squires, a 62-year-old who runs La Loma fishing charters.