Dunedin surfers are concerned a decomposing whale could fuel a great white shark feeding frenzy that might last all summer, putting swimmers and surfers at risk.
South Coast Boardriders Association president Johnny de Graaf said the carcass could remain decomposing on the rocks for six months.
The dead humpback whale was discovered at a remote Omimi beach on July 22.
Mr de Graaf was concerned it could attract sharks and lead to a feeding frenzy, causing danger for surfers and swimmers in the Blueskin Bay area and beyond.
He wanted the Department of Conservation (Doc) to move the carcass, either by towing it out to sea or burying it, Mr de Graaf said.
Southern Cross University carcass decomposition and management researcher James Tucker, of New South Wales, studied great white sharks in Australia.
He found that a stranded whale carcass leaching from the shore into the ocean would change the behaviour of great white sharks in the vicinity, causing them to stay in the area longer.
While he had not seen evidence of increased aggression, it was hard to measure.
Ultimately, it was hard to say exactly how sharks would react to any given whale carcass, but increased shark presence and time spent would increase the potential for interactions between humans and sharks, Dr Tucker said.
Warrington resident Rhys Owen said he had four children aged 8-16, who often went surfing after school.
Having several tonnes of shark bait in the area was "not ideal" and it could take a lot longer than six months to fully decompose, he said.
Warrington Surfers spokesman Johnny Simmons said the group wanted the whale to be moved to where it would not encourage human-shark interactions.
The longer the whale sat decomposing, the harder it would be to tow away, he said.
Surf Life Saving New Zealand Otago-Southland club development officer Brent Matehaere said the group was concerned at the potential for more human-shark interactions and was in talks with Doc.
Doc biodiversity ranger Jim Fyfe acknowledged concerns around increased shark activities and urged patience while the issue was discussed.
Fears of increased shark presence were reasonable, but there was no evidence sharks would become frenzied.
The best-case scenario would be if the community came together to resolve the issue.
Any decisions would be taken with runanga, he said
Because of the remote location where the whale landed, it was not going to be easy to take any action.
