Shark Attack Mystery : "Why Are The Red Sea Sharks Stalking Humans?
What is causing the normally harmless sharks of the Red Sea to start mauling holidaymakers in Egypt?
Shark experts have this weekend converged on the popular resort to investigate a series of attacks that have killed one tourist and badly injured four others. But they have already reached consensus on a general truth—the attacks are almost certainly a result of humans disturbing the environmental balance in the area.
“It is safe to say that the situation where you have a clump distribution in attacks, occurring after another in a limited geographical distribution, is very rare indeed,” George Burgess, who heads the International Shark Attack File, told AFP, adding that the unusual behavior was probably the result of human action.
The mystery surrounds attacks by two species of shark: an oceanic whitetip and a mako. The jaw of a mako caught and killed by conservation officers matches the bite marks of a 70-year-old woman killed in a shark attack. Neither species are known for stalking and killing humans. Indeed, sharks are not normally aggressive to humans. As Michael Lemonick wrote for TIME in this 1997 cover story on shark attacks:
What most people don't realize is that shark attacks almost never happen. In a particularly bad year, as many as 100 people may be attacked by sharks. Of those attacks, a small minority--15% at most--prove fatal. Far more people are killed by bees, poisonous snakes and elephants, as well as bathtub falls and lightning strikes. It's much more dangerous to drive to the beach than to venture into the water once you get there.
So what changed in the past few weeks?
Mohammed Salem, director of South Sinai Conservation, told AFP that illegal feeding is the most probable cause. “We think someone accustomed the sharks to being fed and whoever did it has stopped,” Salem said. So the sharks started to look elsewhere for easy prey.
Salem added that the attacks occurred along a roughly five mile (8 km.) stretch of shore, including the busy Naama Bay, in the afternoons, suggesting the sharks had become used to being fed at around that time of day. Salem also said earlier this week that the attacks may stem from over-fishing in popular diving areas, which has forced sharks to become bolder in their hunt for prey. There have also been allegations that large cargoes of dead sheep have been dumped in the sea, after dying on route to Egypt.
Whatever the cause of the recent spate of shark attacks, they suggest a chilling lesson: if we abuse it, nature has a habit of biting back.
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Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Killer sharks 'planted by Israel'
Killer sharks 'planted by Israel':
10:00 AEST Wed Dec 8 2010
An Egyptian official has claimed sharks that killed one person and injured four others at a tourist beach in Egypt may have been planted by an Israeli spy agency to hurt the country's economy.
The regional governor for South Sinai, Abdel Fadil Shousha, said claims Israel planned the attacks were not 'out of the question', The Sun newspaper reports.
A German woman snorkeler was killed on Sunday after her leg was torn off and four others were mauled over the past week in waters near Sharm El Sheikh's Hyatt Regency.
'What is being said about the Mossad [Israel's spy agency] throwing the deadly shark in the sea to hit tourism in Egypt is not out of the question. But it needs time to confirm,' Mr Shousha was quoted as saying.
The theory was first heard by an expert diver from Sharm El Sheik who was interviewed on Egypt Today.
Diver Captain Mustafa Ismail said the sharks involved in the attack, two of which were caught by authorities last week, were oceanic whitetip sharks and do not live in the waters around Egypt.
When the interviewer asked Ismail how they entered the Red Sea, he said: 'No, it's who let them in?'
Ismail said a small shark had been found by an Israeli diver in Eilat — another resort area and busy port at the northern tip of the Red Sea — with a GPS device planted in its back.
'Why would these sharks travel 4000km and not have any accidents until they entered Sinai waters?' Ismail said.
But a local marine biologist said it was 'sad' Egyptian national TV had helped spread the theory.
Professor of marine biology at Suez Canal University Mahmoud Hanafy said the GPS device did not indicate a conspiracy because tracking devices were often used to study marine life.
'Here in Egypt we put these devices on turtles, in danger of becoming extinct, so that we can watch their behaviour, see where they live, feed and lay their eggs,' Egyptian newspaper Al Ahram quoted Hanafy as saying.
'It is sad that they made a person whose only knowledge of sharks comes from the movie Jaws go on national TV to propagate this mumbo-jumbo.'
Last week officials told locals and tourists it was safe to go back into the water after they captured two sharks they believed were behind the attacks.
Local divers filmed video of a shark swimming in the area just hours before the first mauling — but it is not clear whether that shark has attacked anybody.
The shark on the tape is missing a chunk out of its tail which experts say could cause it to act aggressively.
There is speculation the sharks were drawn to the area after cattle and sheep brought in for last month's Islamic feast of Eid al-Adha died at sea.
- Sent using Google Toolbar"
10:00 AEST Wed Dec 8 2010
An Egyptian official has claimed sharks that killed one person and injured four others at a tourist beach in Egypt may have been planted by an Israeli spy agency to hurt the country's economy.
The regional governor for South Sinai, Abdel Fadil Shousha, said claims Israel planned the attacks were not 'out of the question', The Sun newspaper reports.
A German woman snorkeler was killed on Sunday after her leg was torn off and four others were mauled over the past week in waters near Sharm El Sheikh's Hyatt Regency.
'What is being said about the Mossad [Israel's spy agency] throwing the deadly shark in the sea to hit tourism in Egypt is not out of the question. But it needs time to confirm,' Mr Shousha was quoted as saying.
The theory was first heard by an expert diver from Sharm El Sheik who was interviewed on Egypt Today.
Diver Captain Mustafa Ismail said the sharks involved in the attack, two of which were caught by authorities last week, were oceanic whitetip sharks and do not live in the waters around Egypt.
When the interviewer asked Ismail how they entered the Red Sea, he said: 'No, it's who let them in?'
Ismail said a small shark had been found by an Israeli diver in Eilat — another resort area and busy port at the northern tip of the Red Sea — with a GPS device planted in its back.
'Why would these sharks travel 4000km and not have any accidents until they entered Sinai waters?' Ismail said.
But a local marine biologist said it was 'sad' Egyptian national TV had helped spread the theory.
Professor of marine biology at Suez Canal University Mahmoud Hanafy said the GPS device did not indicate a conspiracy because tracking devices were often used to study marine life.
'Here in Egypt we put these devices on turtles, in danger of becoming extinct, so that we can watch their behaviour, see where they live, feed and lay their eggs,' Egyptian newspaper Al Ahram quoted Hanafy as saying.
'It is sad that they made a person whose only knowledge of sharks comes from the movie Jaws go on national TV to propagate this mumbo-jumbo.'
Last week officials told locals and tourists it was safe to go back into the water after they captured two sharks they believed were behind the attacks.
Local divers filmed video of a shark swimming in the area just hours before the first mauling — but it is not clear whether that shark has attacked anybody.
The shark on the tape is missing a chunk out of its tail which experts say could cause it to act aggressively.
There is speculation the sharks were drawn to the area after cattle and sheep brought in for last month's Islamic feast of Eid al-Adha died at sea.
- Sent using Google Toolbar"
More than one killer shark in the waters
Egypt facing 'worst case scenario': more than one killer shark in the waters - Telegraph:
7:18PM GMT 07 Dec 2010
Scientists scouring the waters off Egypt's premier Red Sea resort have admitted that they are facing a 'worst case scenario' after concluding that a spate of attacks on swimmers in the area was the work of at least two sharks.
A shortfin mako shark similar to the one captured last week that has been forensically identified as the culprit behind last Wednesday's attack on two swimmers from Russia and Ukraine
Conservationists and marine biologists had hoped that a lone rogue shark was responsible for the death of a German woman and the mauling of four other tourists in Sharm el-Sheikh over the past week.
But Egyptian officials in the Sinai peninsula yesterday disclosed that a shortfin mako shark captured last week had been forensically identified as the culprit behind last Wednesday's attack on two swimmers from Russia and Ukraine.
'The bite on one of the victims has been matched with the teeth of the Mako,' said Ahmed el-Edkawy, the deputy secretary general of South Sinai governorate.
'We are confident that this shark was responsible for the second incident.'
That one of the culprits responsible for the mysterious terror visited on Sharm el-Sheikh's beaches may have seemed like good news.
But with witnesses saying that the latest attack, was carried out by a whitetip, scientists are being forced to confront the likelihood that sharks from two different species have suddenly developed man-killing tendencies.
More worryingly, scientists now have no idea how many sharks may have developed a taste for human flesh – making both the hunt for the killers and a search for the explanation of their bizarre behaviour far more complicated.
'Our best case scenario was of a single shark that would move out of the area, solving the problem' said Elke Bojanowski, a German expert on Red Sea sharks involved in the international hunt for rogue predators.
'But if there was more than one then we have to look for a trigger that is influencing the sharks' behaviour and it may be impossible to find.
'If we don't have a clue what the trigger is then what are we to do?' Three international shark experts from the United States flew into Sharm el-Sheikh yesterday to join the investigation.
George Burgess, the Florida-based director of the International Shark Attack File, said the team was examining whether changes in underwater ecology or the illegal practice of baiting the sharks with meat could be responsible for the crisis.
Scientists on the team said they had heard reports of tour guides throwing chickens overboard to attract the sharks.
The attacks have been confined to a three-mile stretch of shore and at similar times indicating that the sharks may be gathering at an area where they are used to being fed.
Egyptian authorities, already facing criticism for reopening beaches prematurely over the weekend, yesterday allowed swimming and snorkelling to go ahead outside the danger zone.
Gen el-Edkawy of the South Sinai governorate yesterday insisted that no tourists had cancelled their trips to Sharm el-Sheikh.
In an apparent attempt to prove the waters safe, he donned a wet suit and jumped into the water just yards from the spot where the German woman was killed.
Emerging 20 minutes later, he pulled his mask to one side and proclaimed: 'I saw a lot of beautiful marine life. It was wonderful. Everything is wonderful. This city is a gift from God and I'm sure everything is safe.'
- Sent using Google Toolbar"
7:18PM GMT 07 Dec 2010
Scientists scouring the waters off Egypt's premier Red Sea resort have admitted that they are facing a 'worst case scenario' after concluding that a spate of attacks on swimmers in the area was the work of at least two sharks.
A shortfin mako shark similar to the one captured last week that has been forensically identified as the culprit behind last Wednesday's attack on two swimmers from Russia and Ukraine
Conservationists and marine biologists had hoped that a lone rogue shark was responsible for the death of a German woman and the mauling of four other tourists in Sharm el-Sheikh over the past week.
But Egyptian officials in the Sinai peninsula yesterday disclosed that a shortfin mako shark captured last week had been forensically identified as the culprit behind last Wednesday's attack on two swimmers from Russia and Ukraine.
'The bite on one of the victims has been matched with the teeth of the Mako,' said Ahmed el-Edkawy, the deputy secretary general of South Sinai governorate.
'We are confident that this shark was responsible for the second incident.'
That one of the culprits responsible for the mysterious terror visited on Sharm el-Sheikh's beaches may have seemed like good news.
But with witnesses saying that the latest attack, was carried out by a whitetip, scientists are being forced to confront the likelihood that sharks from two different species have suddenly developed man-killing tendencies.
More worryingly, scientists now have no idea how many sharks may have developed a taste for human flesh – making both the hunt for the killers and a search for the explanation of their bizarre behaviour far more complicated.
'Our best case scenario was of a single shark that would move out of the area, solving the problem' said Elke Bojanowski, a German expert on Red Sea sharks involved in the international hunt for rogue predators.
'But if there was more than one then we have to look for a trigger that is influencing the sharks' behaviour and it may be impossible to find.
'If we don't have a clue what the trigger is then what are we to do?' Three international shark experts from the United States flew into Sharm el-Sheikh yesterday to join the investigation.
George Burgess, the Florida-based director of the International Shark Attack File, said the team was examining whether changes in underwater ecology or the illegal practice of baiting the sharks with meat could be responsible for the crisis.
Scientists on the team said they had heard reports of tour guides throwing chickens overboard to attract the sharks.
The attacks have been confined to a three-mile stretch of shore and at similar times indicating that the sharks may be gathering at an area where they are used to being fed.
Egyptian authorities, already facing criticism for reopening beaches prematurely over the weekend, yesterday allowed swimming and snorkelling to go ahead outside the danger zone.
Gen el-Edkawy of the South Sinai governorate yesterday insisted that no tourists had cancelled their trips to Sharm el-Sheikh.
In an apparent attempt to prove the waters safe, he donned a wet suit and jumped into the water just yards from the spot where the German woman was killed.
Emerging 20 minutes later, he pulled his mask to one side and proclaimed: 'I saw a lot of beautiful marine life. It was wonderful. Everything is wonderful. This city is a gift from God and I'm sure everything is safe.'
- Sent using Google Toolbar"
Top 10 most infamous shark attacks
Top ten most infamous shark attacks
After a shark killed one tourist and injured several more in a spate of five attacks at Sharm el Sheikh, the Red Sea resort, here is a list of ten of the most infamous shark attacks in history.
#1 Jersey shore, 1916 (The mighty Bull Shark)
Arguably the most famous shark attacks in history resulted in four dead and one injured, probably at the hands of a great white or bull shark, over a ten-day period. Why the notoriety? The spate of attacks is thought to have inspired the film Jaws.
#2 Matawan Creek, New Jersey, 1916
Just a week after the Jersey shore attacks a 12-year-old boy was killed by a great white in Matawan Creek, prompting a shark hunt by local men. It claimed another victim and wounded a third before being caught, and when cut open the shark was found to contain 15lb (7kg) of human flesh and bone.
#3 U.S.S. Indianapolis, 1945
Oceanic whitetip sharks are held to be responsible for the deaths of hundreds of sailors stranded at sea after the U.S.S. Indianapolis was torpedoed. Between 600 and 800 sailors lost their lives but it is not known how many died from exposure and how many from shark attacks.
#4 Brook Watson, 1749
The first known survivor of a shark attack was 14-year-old Brook Watson, a crew member of a trading ship who was twice attacked while swimming in the harbour of Havana, Cuba. His shipmates saved his life, but the shark took his foot and he later had his leg amputated.
Watson went on to become an MP, the Lord Mayor of London, and to be featured in one of the most enduring images of a shark attack, Watson and the Shark by John Singleton Copley, who witnessed the event.
#5 Rodney Fox, 1953
Fox, an Australian spearfishing champion, was defending his title when he was attacked by a great white which took him around his waist in its jaws. After an epic struggle he was released. He is the best-known survivor of a shark attack simply because of the extent of his injuries, which required four hours of surgery and 360 stitches, and his miraculous survival.
#6 Bethany Hamilton, 2003
One of America’s highest-ranked surfers, 13-year-old Bethany Hamilton, lost her arm in an attack by a tiger shark in Hawaii in 2003. She was undeterred by her injury and defied the effect it had on her balance to win a national surfing title in 2005.
#7 Barry Wilson, 1952
Another case that surely influenced the makers of Jaws, 17-year-old Barry Wilson was killed as he swam with a friend off the shore of Pacific Grove, California, in front of scores of witnesses. One saw him jerk suddenly before being pulled from side to side. The shark then lifted him completely out of the water before dragging him under.
#8 Lloyd Skinner, 2010
A shark described as “dinosaur huge” and “longer than a minibus” killed tourist Lloyd Skinner as he swam neck-deep just yards from the shore of a beach in Cape Town, South Africa. The shark, thought to be a great white, twice pulled him under water, leaving behind no trace of the victim except a pool of blood and his swimming goggles.
#9 Henri Bource, 1964
In one of the first attacks captured on film, Henri Bource was swimming with two other divers off the coast of Australia when a great white pounced and bit off his leg. His colleagues saved his life by dragging him to safety and giving first aid. Bource later claimed he tried to free himself by gouging the shark’s eyes and ramming his arm down its throat.
#10 Sharm el Sheikh, 2010 (To be continued....)
A spate of attacks at the Red Sea resort was thought to have ended when two sharks were captured, and the beaches were reopened. The following day a 70-year-old German woman was killed as she snorkelled close to the shore. The attacks were thought to have been prompted by the dumping of a dead sheep from a ship.
- Sent using Google Toolbar"
After a shark killed one tourist and injured several more in a spate of five attacks at Sharm el Sheikh, the Red Sea resort, here is a list of ten of the most infamous shark attacks in history.
#1 Jersey shore, 1916 (The mighty Bull Shark)
Arguably the most famous shark attacks in history resulted in four dead and one injured, probably at the hands of a great white or bull shark, over a ten-day period. Why the notoriety? The spate of attacks is thought to have inspired the film Jaws.
#2 Matawan Creek, New Jersey, 1916
Just a week after the Jersey shore attacks a 12-year-old boy was killed by a great white in Matawan Creek, prompting a shark hunt by local men. It claimed another victim and wounded a third before being caught, and when cut open the shark was found to contain 15lb (7kg) of human flesh and bone.
#3 U.S.S. Indianapolis, 1945
Oceanic whitetip sharks are held to be responsible for the deaths of hundreds of sailors stranded at sea after the U.S.S. Indianapolis was torpedoed. Between 600 and 800 sailors lost their lives but it is not known how many died from exposure and how many from shark attacks.
#4 Brook Watson, 1749
The first known survivor of a shark attack was 14-year-old Brook Watson, a crew member of a trading ship who was twice attacked while swimming in the harbour of Havana, Cuba. His shipmates saved his life, but the shark took his foot and he later had his leg amputated.
Watson went on to become an MP, the Lord Mayor of London, and to be featured in one of the most enduring images of a shark attack, Watson and the Shark by John Singleton Copley, who witnessed the event.
#5 Rodney Fox, 1953
Fox, an Australian spearfishing champion, was defending his title when he was attacked by a great white which took him around his waist in its jaws. After an epic struggle he was released. He is the best-known survivor of a shark attack simply because of the extent of his injuries, which required four hours of surgery and 360 stitches, and his miraculous survival.
#6 Bethany Hamilton, 2003
One of America’s highest-ranked surfers, 13-year-old Bethany Hamilton, lost her arm in an attack by a tiger shark in Hawaii in 2003. She was undeterred by her injury and defied the effect it had on her balance to win a national surfing title in 2005.
#7 Barry Wilson, 1952
Another case that surely influenced the makers of Jaws, 17-year-old Barry Wilson was killed as he swam with a friend off the shore of Pacific Grove, California, in front of scores of witnesses. One saw him jerk suddenly before being pulled from side to side. The shark then lifted him completely out of the water before dragging him under.
#8 Lloyd Skinner, 2010
A shark described as “dinosaur huge” and “longer than a minibus” killed tourist Lloyd Skinner as he swam neck-deep just yards from the shore of a beach in Cape Town, South Africa. The shark, thought to be a great white, twice pulled him under water, leaving behind no trace of the victim except a pool of blood and his swimming goggles.
#9 Henri Bource, 1964
In one of the first attacks captured on film, Henri Bource was swimming with two other divers off the coast of Australia when a great white pounced and bit off his leg. His colleagues saved his life by dragging him to safety and giving first aid. Bource later claimed he tried to free himself by gouging the shark’s eyes and ramming his arm down its throat.
#10 Sharm el Sheikh, 2010 (To be continued....)
A spate of attacks at the Red Sea resort was thought to have ended when two sharks were captured, and the beaches were reopened. The following day a 70-year-old German woman was killed as she snorkelled close to the shore. The attacks were thought to have been prompted by the dumping of a dead sheep from a ship.
- Sent using Google Toolbar"
Illegal shark bait
Lamb, chicken used to lure sharks | Adelaide Now:
TROUBLE LURKING: Henley Surf Life Saving Club secretary Kevin Fitzgerald at Henley jetty, South Australia. He says some fishermen are illegally baiting sharks.
ROGUE fishermen are using chicken carcasses and cuts of lamb to lure sharks closer to shore, surf lifesavers warn.
Henley Surf Life Saving Club president Neville Fielder said recreational fishers doing 'the wrong thing' off the jetty, the beach and boats would attract sharks from farther afield.
'It's when people are using what's been declared as illegal bait - so that might be fat, chickens, lamb and things like that. That's what the issue is,' he said.
'It's been banned for a reason and it is being done. I speak to people who have witnessed these things happening.'
He was told Fisheries officers were monitoring the situation, looking out for large hooks, wire trace and animal products, but remained concerned illegal activity was going on undetected.
On Saturday, club secretary Kevin Fitzgerald watched nippers train surrounded by shark bait. 'They're paddling their boards out and the sharkies are up there with their balloons with meat hanging off it, right where we're training,' he said. 'It's not a good image to portray to the parents, for a start.'
The warning comes as two large sharks were caught off Henley Beach within a fortnight. They may have been attracted closer to shore as a result of illegal activity by other fisherman.
Peter Dietman, fisheries and aquaculture manager regional operations for the Department of Primary Industries and Resources of South Australia, said that in the past a number of people had been fined for using animal or meat products, but shark fishing was not illegal.
'The oceans are there for everyone to use within the rules, but we ask fishers to be conscious of the fact that there are other people using the sea and similarly it goes the other way,' he said.
'No one has sole rights over it. We just ask people to recognise that other people are entitled to have access to the areas as well and to be as fair and reasonable as they can.'
He said the penalty for unlawful berleying using animal or bird products would depend on the circumstances. Fisheries officers can issue a $210 on-the-spot fine or, if the offence is serious enough or involves repetitive behaviour, they can opt to prosecute with fines up to $2500.
Lifesaving patrols started on Saturday.
Report any illegal activity to FISHWATCH on 1800 065 522.
From The Advertiser: Illegal Shark Bait Fears
Aerial photographs reveal the shark swam around crab pots slung from the jetty before it was driven away by air and sea lifesaver patrols. The Sunday Mail also discovered chicken carcasses strewn on the jetty yesterday afternoon.
Grange Surf Life Saving Club president Robert Thompson blamed fishermen illegally baiting crab pots with chicken carcasses for attracting the sharks closer to shore – and putting swimmers in danger. He said both his lifesavers and beachgoers had witnessed the practice, which was banned in 2007. "We certainly think this is a contributing factor," he said of the shark presence.
"The fact that the majority of sharks around this year have been hanging around jetties has got to speak for itself. "Whatever people are doing off the jetty, it is creating food for sharks. "We've got juniors and our own members in the water all the time and it is a major concern that it is happening." Mr Thompson said the number of sightings had forced Grange to restrict the club's junior training session yesterday to the shallows at the beach. Evening training had been shifted to West Lakes, he said.
The shark sighting at Grange was one of three bronze whalers – all ranging from two to three metres in size – spotted in just two hours close to swimmers yesterday. The first was spotted 50m off Henley Beach at 11.50am, and the last at 1.40pm, just 20m off-shore at Grange, 500m north of the jetty. There have been 18 confirmed shark sightings since summer patrols started. A lifesaver, who did not want to be named, told the Sunday Mail the record number of sightings was frightening swimmers out of the water. "People are scared so they stay away," he said. "We're seeing less and less people in the water."
Father of two John Kontoutsikos, who was on Grange Beach with his family yesterday, said he was keeping his children close to the shore. "It's hard to go here with the kids and swim because it's scary," he said.
"They're (sharks) coming close to the shore and something could happen."
Jade Tornquist, 31, of Plympton, was keeping a close watch on her son Jacob, 12, and daughter Gabrielle, 10, as they went into the sea with the Grange Nippers. But she was reassured by the presence of surf lifesavers on patrol. "I suppose you can get hit by a bus too, but you do worry when you're out in the water," she said. "There's always a chance that things could happen and they (children) can't be saved."
Surf Life Saving SA state manager Shane Daw said his members had reported a "small number" of people "allegedly" throwing chicken carcasses into the water. Mr Daw said it was not uncommon for sharks to hang around a particular area for a number of weeks. "We hope in the next couple of days they will move on," he said.
In December, 2007, fisheries regulations were tightened making it illegal to use meat products as berley because of concerns it would attract sharks.
Mr Thompson said the heightened publicity around the shark sightings also had attracted more people to the jetty to try to catch gummy sharks. "As far as we're concerned, we believe it (gummy shark fishing) should be illegal," he said.
Primary Industries and Resources SA acting executive director of fisheries Kelly Crosthwaite said the department had received increasing reports of people using chicken carcasses and meat products.
"If people are using small bits of chicken in their crab pots, it wouldn't be a major factor in attracting sharks," she said.
People face a maximum $2500 fine if caught using animal products in the pots.
- Sent using Google Toolbar"
TROUBLE LURKING: Henley Surf Life Saving Club secretary Kevin Fitzgerald at Henley jetty, South Australia. He says some fishermen are illegally baiting sharks.
ROGUE fishermen are using chicken carcasses and cuts of lamb to lure sharks closer to shore, surf lifesavers warn.
Henley Surf Life Saving Club president Neville Fielder said recreational fishers doing 'the wrong thing' off the jetty, the beach and boats would attract sharks from farther afield.
'It's when people are using what's been declared as illegal bait - so that might be fat, chickens, lamb and things like that. That's what the issue is,' he said.
'It's been banned for a reason and it is being done. I speak to people who have witnessed these things happening.'
He was told Fisheries officers were monitoring the situation, looking out for large hooks, wire trace and animal products, but remained concerned illegal activity was going on undetected.
On Saturday, club secretary Kevin Fitzgerald watched nippers train surrounded by shark bait. 'They're paddling their boards out and the sharkies are up there with their balloons with meat hanging off it, right where we're training,' he said. 'It's not a good image to portray to the parents, for a start.'
The warning comes as two large sharks were caught off Henley Beach within a fortnight. They may have been attracted closer to shore as a result of illegal activity by other fisherman.
Peter Dietman, fisheries and aquaculture manager regional operations for the Department of Primary Industries and Resources of South Australia, said that in the past a number of people had been fined for using animal or meat products, but shark fishing was not illegal.
'The oceans are there for everyone to use within the rules, but we ask fishers to be conscious of the fact that there are other people using the sea and similarly it goes the other way,' he said.
'No one has sole rights over it. We just ask people to recognise that other people are entitled to have access to the areas as well and to be as fair and reasonable as they can.'
He said the penalty for unlawful berleying using animal or bird products would depend on the circumstances. Fisheries officers can issue a $210 on-the-spot fine or, if the offence is serious enough or involves repetitive behaviour, they can opt to prosecute with fines up to $2500.
Lifesaving patrols started on Saturday.
Report any illegal activity to FISHWATCH on 1800 065 522.
From The Advertiser: Illegal Shark Bait Fears
High-speed chase ...
Surf lifesavers chase the 3m shark from Grange Jetty.
A MENACING shark lurked near crab pots off Grange Jetty yesterday, amid claims fishermen were baiting the predators closer to shore.
Yesterday's drama began when the three-metre bronze whaler was spotted near the jetty just after 1pm. Aerial photographs reveal the shark swam around crab pots slung from the jetty before it was driven away by air and sea lifesaver patrols. The Sunday Mail also discovered chicken carcasses strewn on the jetty yesterday afternoon.
Grange Surf Life Saving Club president Robert Thompson blamed fishermen illegally baiting crab pots with chicken carcasses for attracting the sharks closer to shore – and putting swimmers in danger. He said both his lifesavers and beachgoers had witnessed the practice, which was banned in 2007. "We certainly think this is a contributing factor," he said of the shark presence.
"The fact that the majority of sharks around this year have been hanging around jetties has got to speak for itself. "Whatever people are doing off the jetty, it is creating food for sharks. "We've got juniors and our own members in the water all the time and it is a major concern that it is happening." Mr Thompson said the number of sightings had forced Grange to restrict the club's junior training session yesterday to the shallows at the beach. Evening training had been shifted to West Lakes, he said.
The shark sighting at Grange was one of three bronze whalers – all ranging from two to three metres in size – spotted in just two hours close to swimmers yesterday. The first was spotted 50m off Henley Beach at 11.50am, and the last at 1.40pm, just 20m off-shore at Grange, 500m north of the jetty. There have been 18 confirmed shark sightings since summer patrols started. A lifesaver, who did not want to be named, told the Sunday Mail the record number of sightings was frightening swimmers out of the water. "People are scared so they stay away," he said. "We're seeing less and less people in the water."
Father of two John Kontoutsikos, who was on Grange Beach with his family yesterday, said he was keeping his children close to the shore. "It's hard to go here with the kids and swim because it's scary," he said.
"They're (sharks) coming close to the shore and something could happen."
Jade Tornquist, 31, of Plympton, was keeping a close watch on her son Jacob, 12, and daughter Gabrielle, 10, as they went into the sea with the Grange Nippers. But she was reassured by the presence of surf lifesavers on patrol. "I suppose you can get hit by a bus too, but you do worry when you're out in the water," she said. "There's always a chance that things could happen and they (children) can't be saved."
Surf Life Saving SA state manager Shane Daw said his members had reported a "small number" of people "allegedly" throwing chicken carcasses into the water. Mr Daw said it was not uncommon for sharks to hang around a particular area for a number of weeks. "We hope in the next couple of days they will move on," he said.
In December, 2007, fisheries regulations were tightened making it illegal to use meat products as berley because of concerns it would attract sharks.
Mr Thompson said the heightened publicity around the shark sightings also had attracted more people to the jetty to try to catch gummy sharks. "As far as we're concerned, we believe it (gummy shark fishing) should be illegal," he said.
Primary Industries and Resources SA acting executive director of fisheries Kelly Crosthwaite said the department had received increasing reports of people using chicken carcasses and meat products.
"If people are using small bits of chicken in their crab pots, it wouldn't be a major factor in attracting sharks," she said.
People face a maximum $2500 fine if caught using animal products in the pots.
- Sent using Google Toolbar"
Monday, December 6, 2010
A safe place for a swim!!!
Most people wouldn't think twice before jumping in here!
Residents of Boca Ciega Drive say they're less tempted to swim from their backyards after Wednesday's shark attack. The briny water in the little cove nestled into the corner of Boca Ciega Drive and Bay Street was glass calm today, a day after a swirl of teeth and fins left a frantic teenager screaming and bleeding.
For residents along this quiet waterfront neighborhood, the shark bite was somewhat unsettling, but it would do little to change their habits. Jenna James, a graduate of Admiral Farragut Academy who now attends New York University, was lounging on an inflatable raft just a few yards from her dock around 3 p.m. Wednesday, July 23. The 19-year-old was spotted by her neighbor, Frank McMillan, just before it happened.
He and a friend were working in the backyard of McMillan's mother's home and saw James on the raft, he said. 'I had just talked to her,' McMillan said. He walked inside to get something to drink and in the span of about five minutes, he heard a commotion and walked out to see James' sister attending to the teen on the dock. 'It looked pretty bad,' McMillan said.
James was bitten in the lower right leg. She was taken to Bayfront Medical Center where she was treated and held overnight. Emergency medical officials said the injuries were not life threatening. A hospital spokeswoman this morning said the family did not wish to talk to the media and asked that the hospital not release condition updates.
McMillan said he occasionally jumps into the bay behind his mother's home. 'I was swimming out there on Mother's Day,' he said. James and her sister go swimming out there all the time, he said. 'They have a ladder on the dock for that.' He said his mother, Loretta, has lived in the home for about 10 years and he has fished from the dock behind the home more than he has jumped in. 'All I've ever caught is pinfish and catfish,' he said. No sharks.
Nine years ago, on a dock not far from here, 69-year-old Thadeus Kubinski jumped into the water, right in front of a large bull shark that took one bite and killed the man.
Bob Hueter, director of the center for shark research at Mote Marine in Sarasota, said it's not unusual for sharks to be in that area this time of year. The most dangerous may be bull sharks, he said. 'They grow to be fairly large and they do come up into the brackish areas and will go after large prey.'
It would only be speculation about the type of shark that attacked James, he said. 'It could have been one of several different species,' Hueter said. 'It could even be a juvenile bull. 'Little sharks still have sharp teeth and if they come up, grab and twist, they can do some damage. No shark bite is trivial.'
He recalled the attack in the same area nine years ago. 'Two attacks is not exactly a trend,' he said. 'I wouldn't start worrying about that area.' Concern would rise when more than one bite is recorded during a single season, he said. Two shark bites in the same area nine years apart are not beyond the norm. 'Over the past nine years,' he said, 'probably thousands of people have been swimming in there.'
Serial Killer on the loose?
Five people attacked in under one week in the same place!
A British mother was 'thrown around in blood' after rushing into the ocean to help a woman being mauled to death by a shark.
Ellen Barnes said she heard the victim screaming for help after the shark struck at Egypt's Red Sea resort Sharm el-Sheikh yesterday.
The German woman, who died after losing a leg, is the fifth person to be attacked in the same area in under a week. Her death comes just 24 hours after authorities declared the area 'safe'.
Ms Barnes said she ran into the water but could not see the victim because the shark's thrashing made it impossible to see.
'The water was churning like I was in a washing-machine ... the shark was thrashing and tearing at this poor woman and I could barely keep my head above the water it was so choppy,' she told The Sun newspaper.
The 31-year-old, who was holidaying with her two young children, said lifeguards watched and waited for the victim's body to drift to shore before doing anything
Last Tuesday two women — including a 70-year-old — were attacked, with one suffering back injuries and the other losing a leg and hand.
The next day, two other tourists had their legs bitten off.
Officials told locals and tourists it was safe to go back into the water after they captured two sharks they believed were behind the attacks.
Local divers filmed video of a shark swimming in the area just hours before the first mauling — but it is not clear whether that shark has attacked anybody.
The shark on the tape is missing a chunk out of its tail which experts say could cause it to act aggressively.
There is speculation the sharks were drawn to the area after cattle and sheep brought in for last month's Islamic feast of Eid al-Adha died at sea.
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A British mother was 'thrown around in blood' after rushing into the ocean to help a woman being mauled to death by a shark.
One of the sharks believed to be involved in the attacks at the Egypt resort.
Ellen Barnes said she heard the victim screaming for help after the shark struck at Egypt's Red Sea resort Sharm el-Sheikh yesterday.
The German woman, who died after losing a leg, is the fifth person to be attacked in the same area in under a week. Her death comes just 24 hours after authorities declared the area 'safe'.
Ms Barnes said she ran into the water but could not see the victim because the shark's thrashing made it impossible to see.
'The water was churning like I was in a washing-machine ... the shark was thrashing and tearing at this poor woman and I could barely keep my head above the water it was so choppy,' she told The Sun newspaper.
The 31-year-old, who was holidaying with her two young children, said lifeguards watched and waited for the victim's body to drift to shore before doing anything
Last Tuesday two women — including a 70-year-old — were attacked, with one suffering back injuries and the other losing a leg and hand.
The next day, two other tourists had their legs bitten off.
Officials told locals and tourists it was safe to go back into the water after they captured two sharks they believed were behind the attacks.
Local divers filmed video of a shark swimming in the area just hours before the first mauling — but it is not clear whether that shark has attacked anybody.
The shark on the tape is missing a chunk out of its tail which experts say could cause it to act aggressively.
There is speculation the sharks were drawn to the area after cattle and sheep brought in for last month's Islamic feast of Eid al-Adha died at sea.
- Sent using Google Toolbar"
Leeches help Bondi shark victim
'Medical miracle': Leeches help Bondi shark victim keep hand - ABC News
Surgeons say it was a miracle that they managed to reattach the hand of a surfer who was mauled by a shark at Sydney's Bondi Beach. Thirty-three-year-old Glenn Orgias was attacked by a great white shark while surfing at dusk almost two weeks ago. He was taken to St Vincent's Hospital with his hand hanging by a three centimetre piece of skin. Plastic surgeon Dr Kevin Ho says doctors never expected that they would be able to reattach the hand. 'However in the Bondi surfer's case, given his general health and the speed of which he was rushed into the operating theatre, and also the extent of his injuries, made it a possibility that we could reattach the hand,' he said.
Dr Ho says leeches were used as part of the effort to restore blood flow to the hand, and he is hopeful that Mr Orgias will regain function in it. 'I thought the hopes for the hand were close to zero, but I have hope in time that Glenn will have a working hand,' he said. 'It certainly won't be like our own hand but it'd be much much better than a prosthesis. 'We're far from out of the woods but I think for him to make it to this stage is a minor miracle and a reflection of how healthy and physically well he is.'
Mr Orgias released a statement today in which he thanked his rescuers and medical staff. 'A young French surfer applied a tourniquet that, I believe, saved my life,' he said. 'Many others gathered to help me. I would like to thank all of these people for their bravery and compassion,' he continued. 'At the present time, it is not known what will happen to my hand. I have a long fight ahead, but could not be working with better people than Dr Kevin Ho and his team.'
St Vincent's surgeons have been kept busy by shark attacks in Sydney waters this February, with Navy diver Paul de Gelder also being taken there after being attacked by a bull shark during a naval exercise at Garden Island. Doctors have revealed that Mr de Gelder was only a centimetre away from death, because the shark's teeth narrowly missed a vital artery in his leg. Mr de Gelder lost the leg, as well as his hand, in the attack, but the hospital's head of trauma, Dr Tony Brags, says he has been a remarkably positive patient, and is a tribute to his profession. 'I've seen other defence patients, but I've never seen a defence patient with so much motivation, and so much strength, and he has had a lot of training through many, many years in the defence force,' he said. 'It's just amazing, it makes me so proud that we have Australians like this in the country.'
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Surgeons say it was a miracle that they managed to reattach the hand of a surfer who was mauled by a shark at Sydney's Bondi Beach. Thirty-three-year-old Glenn Orgias was attacked by a great white shark while surfing at dusk almost two weeks ago. He was taken to St Vincent's Hospital with his hand hanging by a three centimetre piece of skin. Plastic surgeon Dr Kevin Ho says doctors never expected that they would be able to reattach the hand. 'However in the Bondi surfer's case, given his general health and the speed of which he was rushed into the operating theatre, and also the extent of his injuries, made it a possibility that we could reattach the hand,' he said.
Dr Ho says leeches were used as part of the effort to restore blood flow to the hand, and he is hopeful that Mr Orgias will regain function in it. 'I thought the hopes for the hand were close to zero, but I have hope in time that Glenn will have a working hand,' he said. 'It certainly won't be like our own hand but it'd be much much better than a prosthesis. 'We're far from out of the woods but I think for him to make it to this stage is a minor miracle and a reflection of how healthy and physically well he is.'
Mr Orgias released a statement today in which he thanked his rescuers and medical staff. 'A young French surfer applied a tourniquet that, I believe, saved my life,' he said. 'Many others gathered to help me. I would like to thank all of these people for their bravery and compassion,' he continued. 'At the present time, it is not known what will happen to my hand. I have a long fight ahead, but could not be working with better people than Dr Kevin Ho and his team.'
St Vincent's surgeons have been kept busy by shark attacks in Sydney waters this February, with Navy diver Paul de Gelder also being taken there after being attacked by a bull shark during a naval exercise at Garden Island. Doctors have revealed that Mr de Gelder was only a centimetre away from death, because the shark's teeth narrowly missed a vital artery in his leg. Mr de Gelder lost the leg, as well as his hand, in the attack, but the hospital's head of trauma, Dr Tony Brags, says he has been a remarkably positive patient, and is a tribute to his profession. 'I've seen other defence patients, but I've never seen a defence patient with so much motivation, and so much strength, and he has had a lot of training through many, many years in the defence force,' he said. 'It's just amazing, it makes me so proud that we have Australians like this in the country.'
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Shark attacks don't warrant increased cull
Shark attacks don't warrant increased cull - ABC News
Australia is not alone in having large sharks near populated beaches or for having a reputation for shark attacks.
South Africa is the world's hotspot for great white sharks. It is where documentary makers come to film the dramatic scenes of white sharks breaching in the chase for Cape fur seals and it is the centre of the great white shark cage diving tourism industry where, on a daily basis, fleets of boats head out of the tourism centres packed with people wanting to view a great white shark from the safety of a cage.
In terms of documented attacks, there were six in the period from 1951 to 1970, 25 incidents between 1981 and 1990, 23 incidents reported from 1991 to 2000, and 11 reported great white attacks in the first half of this decade.
In some years, there were anomalously high numbers of attacks, such as Black December in 1957 when five people were bitten by sharks south of Durban, or 1998 when a total of 18 attacks were recorded in South Africa.
The longer term trend of rising incidents since the 50s and 60s mirrors an increase in beach use but cannot explain the year-to-year variations. To date, science cannot conclusively say why there are higher numbers of shark incidents in some years compared to others. It is likely that an array of oceanographic, ecological or behavioural factors are to blame for bringing more or fewer sharks in contact with people in any particular year, but the specific causes remain unknown.
Already it looks like 2009 will go down in the record books as having an anomalously high number of shark attacks in Australia and in the Sydney region in particular. Just as with South Africa, more people in the water increases the chance of an interaction. A cleaner Sydney harbour also increases the chance of finding sharks as well as fish, but it is not clear what other biological, environmental or behavioural factors, if any, are adding to the high recent number of attacks.
There is no doubt that any shark attack is a terribly unfortunate and traumatic incident. Our sympathies are with the victims and their families. On a global scale, elephants, bees, crocodiles and lightning strikes kill more people each year than shark attacks, and beachgoers are at a far greater risk of death by drowning from rips or surf, yet the thought of being attacked by a shark remains a terrifying prospect.
Actions that can help ensure bather safety include increased investment in education and awareness program so that people understand basic rules. Some of these include avoid swimming alone, avoid being in the water when there are low light levels or reduced visibility, don't swim in waters with known effluents or sewage and stay away from fish or gull feeding areas.
Increased investment is needed in research and development, and testing of options such as observer programs, use of electromagnetic field technology and new shark repellent advances in concert with research into sharks, so that we understand more about the behaviour, ecology and environmental cues that affect these species. Together these will allow bather safety programs to be designed to be as targeted and effective as possible without also causing the deaths of marine creatures such as dolphins and turtles that also call the ocean home.
Of the more than 300 species of shark found in Australian waters, there are only a couple of species, most notably the great white shark and bull shark, that are recorded as attacking humans. The vast majority of sharks are shy elusive creatures that appear in a range of often bizarre shapes and sizes, patrolling reefs and open oceans where they fulfil a critically important role at the top of the food chain.
In terms of their reproduction, sharks are long-lived, slow growing and produce relatively few young, which gives them a population dynamic that is more similar to whales and dolphins than to fish. This makes shark populations vulnerable to over-fishing.
The history of shark fisheries the world over is one of 'boom and bust' where excessive fishing pressure causes populations to crash.
The result is that shark species are increasingly finding their way onto the lists of at-risk or endangered species, almost as quickly as new species are being described.
The high price being paid for shark fin in the Asian marketplace appears to be driving a gold rush type mentality around shark fisheries in Queensland and New South Wales. Opportunistic fishers push fisheries managers to increase shark catches and create new shark fishing licences, despite there being no scientific basis that such levels of take are within safe limits for the large numbers of species involved.
With sharks very much in the spotlight, cool heads need to prevail.
The calls for an increase to the shark fishing quota in NSW are driven by this opportunism. Some fishers are using the current media feeding frenzy around sharks to call for an increase in shark hunting levels and are making claims that have no scientific basis. They should be ignored.
Many of the sharks they already catch are docile creatures that are not involved in attacks on bathers. Some of the populations of shark species that these fishers pull out of the water for their fins and flesh are in steep decline.
This is not to deny that we need to find ways to ease the interaction between sharks and humans along our beaches. There needs to be an investment in education, awareness and research and development, so that bather safety programs can be as effective as possible.
But equally, we need to protect the dwindling populations of sharks that have lived in our planet's seas for millions of years. There is no justification for increasing a fishing quota that could see these ancient creatures disappear from our oceans.
Dr Gilly Llewellyn is World Wildlife Fund-Australia's oceans program leader
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Australia is not alone in having large sharks near populated beaches or for having a reputation for shark attacks.
South Africa is the world's hotspot for great white sharks. It is where documentary makers come to film the dramatic scenes of white sharks breaching in the chase for Cape fur seals and it is the centre of the great white shark cage diving tourism industry where, on a daily basis, fleets of boats head out of the tourism centres packed with people wanting to view a great white shark from the safety of a cage.
In terms of documented attacks, there were six in the period from 1951 to 1970, 25 incidents between 1981 and 1990, 23 incidents reported from 1991 to 2000, and 11 reported great white attacks in the first half of this decade.
In some years, there were anomalously high numbers of attacks, such as Black December in 1957 when five people were bitten by sharks south of Durban, or 1998 when a total of 18 attacks were recorded in South Africa.
The longer term trend of rising incidents since the 50s and 60s mirrors an increase in beach use but cannot explain the year-to-year variations. To date, science cannot conclusively say why there are higher numbers of shark incidents in some years compared to others. It is likely that an array of oceanographic, ecological or behavioural factors are to blame for bringing more or fewer sharks in contact with people in any particular year, but the specific causes remain unknown.
Already it looks like 2009 will go down in the record books as having an anomalously high number of shark attacks in Australia and in the Sydney region in particular. Just as with South Africa, more people in the water increases the chance of an interaction. A cleaner Sydney harbour also increases the chance of finding sharks as well as fish, but it is not clear what other biological, environmental or behavioural factors, if any, are adding to the high recent number of attacks.
There is no doubt that any shark attack is a terribly unfortunate and traumatic incident. Our sympathies are with the victims and their families. On a global scale, elephants, bees, crocodiles and lightning strikes kill more people each year than shark attacks, and beachgoers are at a far greater risk of death by drowning from rips or surf, yet the thought of being attacked by a shark remains a terrifying prospect.
Actions that can help ensure bather safety include increased investment in education and awareness program so that people understand basic rules. Some of these include avoid swimming alone, avoid being in the water when there are low light levels or reduced visibility, don't swim in waters with known effluents or sewage and stay away from fish or gull feeding areas.
Increased investment is needed in research and development, and testing of options such as observer programs, use of electromagnetic field technology and new shark repellent advances in concert with research into sharks, so that we understand more about the behaviour, ecology and environmental cues that affect these species. Together these will allow bather safety programs to be designed to be as targeted and effective as possible without also causing the deaths of marine creatures such as dolphins and turtles that also call the ocean home.
Of the more than 300 species of shark found in Australian waters, there are only a couple of species, most notably the great white shark and bull shark, that are recorded as attacking humans. The vast majority of sharks are shy elusive creatures that appear in a range of often bizarre shapes and sizes, patrolling reefs and open oceans where they fulfil a critically important role at the top of the food chain.
In terms of their reproduction, sharks are long-lived, slow growing and produce relatively few young, which gives them a population dynamic that is more similar to whales and dolphins than to fish. This makes shark populations vulnerable to over-fishing.
The history of shark fisheries the world over is one of 'boom and bust' where excessive fishing pressure causes populations to crash.
The result is that shark species are increasingly finding their way onto the lists of at-risk or endangered species, almost as quickly as new species are being described.
The high price being paid for shark fin in the Asian marketplace appears to be driving a gold rush type mentality around shark fisheries in Queensland and New South Wales. Opportunistic fishers push fisheries managers to increase shark catches and create new shark fishing licences, despite there being no scientific basis that such levels of take are within safe limits for the large numbers of species involved.
With sharks very much in the spotlight, cool heads need to prevail.
The calls for an increase to the shark fishing quota in NSW are driven by this opportunism. Some fishers are using the current media feeding frenzy around sharks to call for an increase in shark hunting levels and are making claims that have no scientific basis. They should be ignored.
Many of the sharks they already catch are docile creatures that are not involved in attacks on bathers. Some of the populations of shark species that these fishers pull out of the water for their fins and flesh are in steep decline.
This is not to deny that we need to find ways to ease the interaction between sharks and humans along our beaches. There needs to be an investment in education, awareness and research and development, so that bather safety programs can be as effective as possible.
But equally, we need to protect the dwindling populations of sharks that have lived in our planet's seas for millions of years. There is no justification for increasing a fishing quota that could see these ancient creatures disappear from our oceans.
Dr Gilly Llewellyn is World Wildlife Fund-Australia's oceans program leader
- Sent using Google Toolbar"
NSW releases shark attack proposals
NSW releases shark attack proposals - ABC News
The New South Wales Government has released a number of new proposals to prevent shark attacks, as it defends itself against claims it is failing to protect swimmers after three attacks in Sydney in as many weeks.
The measures include a new shark tagging program, the use of GPS to monitor shark nets and a list of shark attacks by beach since 1900.
The Government is also considering upgrading shark fishing gear and researching shark movements, attacks and population trends to try to identify hotspots and high-risk periods.
The proposals are part of the first review of the long-standing shark net program since 1972. They also include publishing an annual report about the nets' performance.
Primary Industries Minister Ian Macdonald says the Government will also consult with surf lifesavers.
'The Government in the past has provided a number of jet skis to surf lifesavers that have helped them monitor and deter sharks and we'll be discussing these on Thursday,' he said.
The Opposition says the Government has not done enough to protect swimmers and surfers. It says shark nets are deteriorating, the shark fishing quota should be increased and beaches need more aerial patrols.
But Mr Macdonald says aerial patrols do not spot sharks at dawn and dusk, the high-risk periods when the three latest shark attacks occurred. He says the patrols sometimes confuse big fish with sharks.
The Minister also says only 4.2 per cent of sharks caught in the fishing quota are dangerous.
In the latest shark attack, 15-year-old Andrew Lindop was bitten on the leg while surfing with his father, a veteran lifesaver, at Sydney's Avalon Beach at dawn on Sunday.
The boy is recovering in a stable condition in hospital after being rescued by his father.
This year's first Sydney victim, elite Navy diver Paul de Gelder, lost a hand and a leg after being attacked by a bull shark at dawn off Garden Island in Sydney Harbour on February 11.
The following day, surfer Glenn Orgias was mauled by a great white shark at the southern end of Bondi Beach at dusk.
His hand was hanging off his wrist by a three-centimetre piece of skin but doctors have managed to save it in what they have described as a 'minor miracle'.
The proposals will be made open to public consultation next month.
- Sent using Google Toolbar"
The New South Wales Government has released a number of new proposals to prevent shark attacks, as it defends itself against claims it is failing to protect swimmers after three attacks in Sydney in as many weeks.
The measures include a new shark tagging program, the use of GPS to monitor shark nets and a list of shark attacks by beach since 1900.
The Government is also considering upgrading shark fishing gear and researching shark movements, attacks and population trends to try to identify hotspots and high-risk periods.
The proposals are part of the first review of the long-standing shark net program since 1972. They also include publishing an annual report about the nets' performance.
Primary Industries Minister Ian Macdonald says the Government will also consult with surf lifesavers.
'The Government in the past has provided a number of jet skis to surf lifesavers that have helped them monitor and deter sharks and we'll be discussing these on Thursday,' he said.
The Opposition says the Government has not done enough to protect swimmers and surfers. It says shark nets are deteriorating, the shark fishing quota should be increased and beaches need more aerial patrols.
But Mr Macdonald says aerial patrols do not spot sharks at dawn and dusk, the high-risk periods when the three latest shark attacks occurred. He says the patrols sometimes confuse big fish with sharks.
The Minister also says only 4.2 per cent of sharks caught in the fishing quota are dangerous.
In the latest shark attack, 15-year-old Andrew Lindop was bitten on the leg while surfing with his father, a veteran lifesaver, at Sydney's Avalon Beach at dawn on Sunday.
The boy is recovering in a stable condition in hospital after being rescued by his father.
This year's first Sydney victim, elite Navy diver Paul de Gelder, lost a hand and a leg after being attacked by a bull shark at dawn off Garden Island in Sydney Harbour on February 11.
The following day, surfer Glenn Orgias was mauled by a great white shark at the southern end of Bondi Beach at dusk.
His hand was hanging off his wrist by a three-centimetre piece of skin but doctors have managed to save it in what they have described as a 'minor miracle'.
The proposals will be made open to public consultation next month.
- Sent using Google Toolbar"
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Why Study Shark Attacks
Because they provide a glimpse - a window - into the world of sharks and their behaviors. By understanding when and why sharks sometimes bite humans it is possible to lessen the likelihood of such accidents. Humans are familiar with predators found on land; we know enough not to walk into a pride of lions and we don't try to pet a growling dog that is baring its teeth. Similarly, we need to recognize and avoid potentially dangerous situations in the water. The individual case histories provide insights about specific geographical areas and their indigenous species of sharks. However, when all known case histories are examined, much is revealed about species behavior, and specific patterns emerge.
Most of the incidents in the Global Shark Attack File have nothing to do with predation. Some incidents are motivated by displacement or are a territorial behavior, or when the shark feels threatened; still others are the result of the shark responding to sensory predatory input (i.e., overwhelmed by the presence of many fishes) and environmental conditions (murky water) which may cause the animal to respond in a reflexive response to stimuli. Sharks also exhibit curiosity and may investigate unknown or unfamiliar objects; they learn by exploring their environment, and - lacking hands - they use their mouths and teeth to examine unfamiliar objects.
A very small percentage of shark species, about two dozen, are considered potentially dangerous to humans because of their size and dentition. Yet each year, for every human killed by a shark, our species slaughters more than 10 million sharks - about 100 million sharks last year. We are stripping the world's oceans of one of its most valuable predators - animals that play a critical role in maintaining the health of the world's oceans. An unreasonable fear of sharks has been implanted in our minds by the hype that surrounds the rare shark attack and by movies that exploit our primal fears. It is the mission of the Global Shark Attack File to present facts about these events, thus enabling them to be put in perspective. Sharks are necessary and vital to the ocean ecosystem. Without sharks our planet's ocean could eventually become a watery graveyard, with little sustainable life. This is not the legacy the Global Shark Attack File and the Shark Research Institute wishes to leave our children and our children's children.
The Global Shark Attack File was created to provide medical personnel, shark behaviorists, lifesavers, and the media with meaningful information resulting from the scientific forensic examination of shark accidents. Whenever possible, GSAF investigators conduct personal interviews with patients and witnesses, medical personnel and other professionals, and conduct examinations of the incident site. Weather and sea conditions and environmental data are evaluated in an attempt to identify factors that contributed to the incident.
Early on, we became aware that the word "attack" was usually a misnomer. An "attack" by a shark is an extremely rare event, even less likely than statistics suggest. When a shark bites a surfboard, leaving the surfer unharmed, it was historically recorded as an "attack". Collisions between humans and sharks in low visibility water were also recorded as "attacks".
When a shark grabs a person by the hand/wrist and tows them along the surface, tosses a surfboard (or a Frisbee as in case 1968.08.24) it is probably "play behavior", not aggression. How can case 1971.04.11 which the swimmer was repeatedly bitten by a large shark and case 1985.01.04 in which the diver's injury necessitated a Band-aid be compared? It is akin to comparing a head-on high-speed vehicular collision with a shopping cart ding on the door of a parked car. Global Shark Attack File believes the only way to sort fact from hype is by forensic examination of each incident.
Although incidents that occur in remote areas may go unrecorded, the Global Shark Attack File is a compilation of a number of data sources, and we have a team of qualified researchers throughout the world that actively investigate these incidents. One of our objectives is to provide a clear picture of the actual threat presented by sharks to humans. In this regard, we remind our visitors that more people drown in a single year in the United States than have been killed by sharks throughout the entire world in the last two centuries.
Most of the incidents in the Global Shark Attack File have nothing to do with predation. Some incidents are motivated by displacement or are a territorial behavior, or when the shark feels threatened; still others are the result of the shark responding to sensory predatory input (i.e., overwhelmed by the presence of many fishes) and environmental conditions (murky water) which may cause the animal to respond in a reflexive response to stimuli. Sharks also exhibit curiosity and may investigate unknown or unfamiliar objects; they learn by exploring their environment, and - lacking hands - they use their mouths and teeth to examine unfamiliar objects. A very small percentage of shark species, about two dozen, are considered potentially dangerous to humans because of their size and dentition. Yet each year, for every human killed by a shark, our species slaughters more than 10 million sharks - about 100 million sharks last year. We are stripping the world's oceans of one of its most valuable predators - animals that play a critical role in maintaining the health of the world's oceans. An unreasonable fear of sharks has been implanted in our minds by the hype that surrounds the rare shark attack and by movies that exploit our primal fears. It is the mission of the Global Shark Attack File to present facts about these events, thus enabling them to be put in perspective. Sharks are necessary and vital to the ocean ecosystem. Without sharks our planet's ocean could eventually become a watery graveyard, with little sustainable life. This is not the legacy the Global Shark Attack File and the Shark Research Institute wishes to leave our children and our children's children.
The Global Shark Attack File was created to provide medical personnel, shark behaviorists, lifesavers, and the media with meaningful information resulting from the scientific forensic examination of shark accidents. Whenever possible, GSAF investigators conduct personal interviews with patients and witnesses, medical personnel and other professionals, and conduct examinations of the incident site. Weather and sea conditions and environmental data are evaluated in an attempt to identify factors that contributed to the incident.
Early on, we became aware that the word "attack" was usually a misnomer. An "attack" by a shark is an extremely rare event, even less likely than statistics suggest. When a shark bites a surfboard, leaving the surfer unharmed, it was historically recorded as an "attack". Collisions between humans and sharks in low visibility water were also recorded as "attacks".
When a shark grabs a person by the hand/wrist and tows them along the surface, tosses a surfboard (or a Frisbee as in case 1968.08.24) it is probably "play behavior", not aggression. How can case 1971.04.11 which the swimmer was repeatedly bitten by a large shark and case 1985.01.04 in which the diver's injury necessitated a Band-aid be compared? It is akin to comparing a head-on high-speed vehicular collision with a shopping cart ding on the door of a parked car. Global Shark Attack File believes the only way to sort fact from hype is by forensic examination of each incident.
Although incidents that occur in remote areas may go unrecorded, the Global Shark Attack File is a compilation of a number of data sources, and we have a team of qualified researchers throughout the world that actively investigate these incidents. One of our objectives is to provide a clear picture of the actual threat presented by sharks to humans. In this regard, we remind our visitors that more people drown in a single year in the United States than have been killed by sharks throughout the entire world in the last two centuries.
Source: Global Shark Attack File
Website: http://www.sharkattackfile.net
How to Avoid Shark Attacks
Recommendations to avoid and survive a shark attack:
"Seek advice of local people before swimming, surfing or diving in areas where shark attacks have occurred.
Reason: Locals know the area.
Remain aware of your surroundings and the behavior of marine life nearby.
Reason: Their actions may alert you to the presence of marine predators.
If you suddenly become uneasy, leave the water immediately.
Reason: Your instincts may be providing a warning of impending danger.
Do not harass or touch any shark, even a small one.
Reason: Any shark is capable of inflicting injury.
If swimming or surfing do not enter the water when sharks are present, and leave the water the water slowly and quietly if they are sighted or you are requested to do so by a lifeguard.
Reason: If sharks are in the immediate area, the risk of injury is increased.
Do not swim, surf or dive alone
Reason: Sharks may be more likely to bite solitary individuals, and if you are injured there is nobody to help you.
Do not stray far from shore
Reason: You are farther from assistance, should you need it.
Avoid swimming at night.
Reason: There is strong evidence to suggest that sharks move in closer to a land mass (island or shore) following sunset.
Avoid murky or turbid water.
Reason: Some species of sharks hunt in murky or turbid water, others may bite because of stress, and others may simply fail to recognize an object and bite to find out what it is. It is also difficult to defend yourself from something you cannot see.
Avoid swimming close to river mouths.
Reason: Freshwater plankton dies and attracts fish, some species of fish spawn at river mouths, and carcasses of dead animals are carried downstream. All these conditions attract predators such as sharks.
Be cautious when swimming in the breakers.
Reason: Sharks may become stressed due to the low visibility and sudden presence of humans..
Don't swim close to sandbars.
Reason: Any natural structure attracts a variety of marine animals and may be a feeding area for sharks.
Be cautious crossing channels between sandbars or on the edge of steep drop offs.
Reason: These are often feeding areas for sharks.
Avoid swimming or surfing near jetties.
Reason: These are often feeding areas for sharks.
Do not corner a shark or cut off its path to open water.
Reason: It may feel threatened and react defensively.
Avoid swimming in areas where birds are diving into the water.
Reason: Diving birds indicate schools of fish are in the area and the likelihood that sharks in the area is increased.
If schools of fish are milling nearby, do not attempt to chase them from the area.
Reason: Frightened, darting fish create distinctive sounds that are very attractive to sharks.
If baitfish are leaping at or above the surface, leave the water immediately.
Reason: Predator fish, possibly sharks, are feeding on the baitfish.
If spearfishing or collecting shellfish, do not attach your catch to a stringer at your waist, and stay alert when removing a fish from your spear. If wade-fishing, do not carry bait on your person.
Reason: A shark attempting to snatch your catch or the bait, could inadvertently injure you.
If spearfishing, change your location frequently.
Reason: The vibrations of speared fish attract sharks.
Avoid areas where any type of fishing activity is taking place or offal is dumped into the sea.
Reason: These areas attract sharks.
The presence of porpoises and dolphins may indicate sharks are hunting in the area.
Reason: These species often feed with sharks.
Leave the water when pods of dolphin cluster or head inshore
Reason: This behavior is often associated with the proximity of sharks.
Avoid swimming, surfing or diving in the vicinity of pinniped haul-outs or rookeries.
Reason: These animals are the prey of large sharks, including white sharks.
Avoid high contrast swim suits
Reason: It is thought sharks are attracted to high-contrast objects.
Refrain from excess splashing or making quick, abrupt movements in the water.
Reason: It suggests an animal in distress.
Do not swim with dogs or horses.
Reason: Their splashing may attract a predator.
If a shark approaches uncomfortably close, keep it at bay with your speargun or a shark “billy”.
Do not attempt to spear the shark unless you think an attack is imminent.
Reason: The shark may simply be curious, but if you respond with aggression the shark may react in the same way.
If you are bitten by a shark and you are wearing a wetsuit, don't remove the wetsuit except to control arterial bleeding.
Reason: A wetsuit acts as a pressure bandage and restricts the loss of blood.
Take both a CPR course and an advanced first aid course.
Reason: Many fatalities in the GSAF file could have been avoided if arterial bleeding had been recognized and stopped, and basic life support provided until professional medical assistance arrived. The life you save could be your own or that of a loved one.
"Seek advice of local people before swimming, surfing or diving in areas where shark attacks have occurred.
Reason: Locals know the area.
Remain aware of your surroundings and the behavior of marine life nearby.
Reason: Their actions may alert you to the presence of marine predators.
If you suddenly become uneasy, leave the water immediately.
Reason: Your instincts may be providing a warning of impending danger.
Do not harass or touch any shark, even a small one.
Reason: Any shark is capable of inflicting injury.
If swimming or surfing do not enter the water when sharks are present, and leave the water the water slowly and quietly if they are sighted or you are requested to do so by a lifeguard.
Reason: If sharks are in the immediate area, the risk of injury is increased.
Do not swim, surf or dive alone
Reason: Sharks may be more likely to bite solitary individuals, and if you are injured there is nobody to help you.
Do not stray far from shore
Reason: You are farther from assistance, should you need it.
Avoid swimming at night.
Reason: There is strong evidence to suggest that sharks move in closer to a land mass (island or shore) following sunset.
Avoid murky or turbid water.
Reason: Some species of sharks hunt in murky or turbid water, others may bite because of stress, and others may simply fail to recognize an object and bite to find out what it is. It is also difficult to defend yourself from something you cannot see.
Avoid swimming close to river mouths.
Reason: Freshwater plankton dies and attracts fish, some species of fish spawn at river mouths, and carcasses of dead animals are carried downstream. All these conditions attract predators such as sharks.
Be cautious when swimming in the breakers.
Reason: Sharks may become stressed due to the low visibility and sudden presence of humans..
Don't swim close to sandbars.
Reason: Any natural structure attracts a variety of marine animals and may be a feeding area for sharks.
Be cautious crossing channels between sandbars or on the edge of steep drop offs.
Reason: These are often feeding areas for sharks.
Avoid swimming or surfing near jetties.
Reason: These are often feeding areas for sharks.
Do not corner a shark or cut off its path to open water.
Reason: It may feel threatened and react defensively.
Avoid swimming in areas where birds are diving into the water.
Reason: Diving birds indicate schools of fish are in the area and the likelihood that sharks in the area is increased.
If schools of fish are milling nearby, do not attempt to chase them from the area.
Reason: Frightened, darting fish create distinctive sounds that are very attractive to sharks.
If baitfish are leaping at or above the surface, leave the water immediately.
Reason: Predator fish, possibly sharks, are feeding on the baitfish.
If spearfishing or collecting shellfish, do not attach your catch to a stringer at your waist, and stay alert when removing a fish from your spear. If wade-fishing, do not carry bait on your person.
Reason: A shark attempting to snatch your catch or the bait, could inadvertently injure you.
If spearfishing, change your location frequently.
Reason: The vibrations of speared fish attract sharks.
Avoid areas where any type of fishing activity is taking place or offal is dumped into the sea.
Reason: These areas attract sharks.
The presence of porpoises and dolphins may indicate sharks are hunting in the area.
Reason: These species often feed with sharks.
Leave the water when pods of dolphin cluster or head inshore
Reason: This behavior is often associated with the proximity of sharks.
Avoid swimming, surfing or diving in the vicinity of pinniped haul-outs or rookeries.
Reason: These animals are the prey of large sharks, including white sharks.
Avoid high contrast swim suits
Reason: It is thought sharks are attracted to high-contrast objects.
Refrain from excess splashing or making quick, abrupt movements in the water.
Reason: It suggests an animal in distress.
Do not swim with dogs or horses.
Reason: Their splashing may attract a predator.
If a shark approaches uncomfortably close, keep it at bay with your speargun or a shark “billy”.
Do not attempt to spear the shark unless you think an attack is imminent.
Reason: The shark may simply be curious, but if you respond with aggression the shark may react in the same way.
If you are bitten by a shark and you are wearing a wetsuit, don't remove the wetsuit except to control arterial bleeding.
Reason: A wetsuit acts as a pressure bandage and restricts the loss of blood.
Take both a CPR course and an advanced first aid course.
Reason: Many fatalities in the GSAF file could have been avoided if arterial bleeding had been recognized and stopped, and basic life support provided until professional medical assistance arrived. The life you save could be your own or that of a loved one.
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