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Subscribe to RSSA man is killed Saturday from an apparent shark attack off the western coast of Australia. Msnbc.com's Al Stirrett reports.
There are calls for a shark cull in western Australia after what one expert called an "unprecedented" number of deadly attacks, local media reported Sunday.
A 13-feet-long great white shark has been blamed for the latest fatality – the fourth in seven months – involving a scuba diver early on Saturday.
Peter Kurmann, a 33-year-old businessman and father of two young sons, was diving about a mile off Stratham Beach, 140 miles south of Perth, Western Australia (WA) according to a report in The Australian. It said the victim’s brother saw a ‘dark shape’ in the water at the time of the tragedy.
Scuba diver killed in Australia shark attack
In October, a 32-year-old man from Texas, George Wainwright, was killed by a shark off Rottnest Island along the same stretch of coast.
Ian Stubbs, mayor of the local Busselton area, has suggested a cull, saying the attacks are affecting tourism, the newspaper said.
“I think there should be a culling program because it's gone too crazy,” he was quoted as saying. “How many more of these tragic deaths can we continue to have? It's far too many."
Senior shark research scientist Rory McAuley told news site Perth Now that the current spate of attacks was "unprecedented”.
"I'm not aware of any series of fatal shark attacks, this number, in such a short period of time anywhere in the world,'' Mr McAuley was quoted as saying.
"So we really can't tell what's behind that. Last year a large proportion of the global shark fatalities occurred in Western Australia.
"In other years we haven't even registered on the shark attack files statistics. So last year was particularly bad. This year has already started very tragically."
However, The Australian said the WA state government has ruled out a cull because of the difficulties in identifying the sharks responsible.
The Sydney Morning Herald quoted WA state premier Colin Barnett as saying: "I am not advocating culling at all but I think there may be some scope, depending on the results of the research project, to allow increased fishing of shark which used to happen and has been restricted for various reasons."
It isn’t clear why the number of attacks has risen so sharply, but authorities say there is no evidence shark numbers are increasing. Tina Thorne from the WA government's Shark Response Unit, told broadcaster ABC: "What we'd like to do is put some solid science behind some of those theories and prove them or disprove them.”
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Leave a Comment:
They absolutely should cull Austrailians to avoid this happening more. Kill as many as you need to keep the sharks safe!
you're a real comedian
you are right too many aussy sissy bums ,, SAVE THE SHARKS !
Typical Americans. Come down here and have a swim. get eaten. The only reason you know about this is because one of you got eaten last year. Half of your population doesn't even know where Australia is on the map. Hypocrites.
we know that you people like shrimp and you call beer fosters and you do something with vegemit but I dont like to think about what it is (because its not made for eating)
Oh and you come from down under, where men chunder?
Americans, Australian's , lol, your all Euro-Trash womb-mates, if you can't live with it, or understand it you kill it. I guess History is lost on those down-under like it is where ever the trash was dumped. Take a bath before you go into the water, stop playing with wallaby and grow a pair.
What the Australians need to do, is round up all the juvenile sharks, pick 2 from each district, male and female, put them in an arena and make them fight to the death. Only 1 victor allowed. That'll teach em! =O)
Aubs is right . . and MAY THE ODDS BE EVER IN THEIR FAVOR!!
lol. i totally agree...no offense Aussies. The water belongs to the sharks...we are mammals :)
I know where y'all are on the map and on the globe: Down Under. I'd love to visit sometime. (I even know what chunder means.) Save the sharks!
I love shark meat, expensive though at $11.00#
Whales and dolphins are mammals too you know...
Millions of humans in the water, hundreds of thousands of sharks in the water - 4 people killed by sharks while tens of thousands of sharks killed by humans. What is the hysteria all about?
QUOTE: ""The Australian said the WA state government has ruled out a cull because of the difficulties in identifying the sharks responsible.""
Sounds a bit like our own legal system...
Lets just kill off the entire species! How dare it interfere with Tourism and Money that tourist bring in! <sarc>
Unbelievable!
Well here's a novel thought. Maybe if we didn't OVERFISH the oceans and leave the sharks with little prey to consume they wouldn't be forced to eat a McManwich, huh?
I understand we don't taste particularly good either and sharks tend to spit us out after one bite.
: /
They should start a sustainable shark-fishing program. That'll keep the wild population under control.
dog7, of course we know where Australia is. It's right next to Switzerland. The Nazis admired your country greatly....oh, wait, that's Austria. Well.....my bad.....lol.
Once you set foot in the water your part of the food chain.
LOL -go sharks! Humans suck!
Seriously though if you play where the predators live -you will probaly become the prey. You can't change the food chain...you have to be smart and cautious.
First question is this, did they chum the water? If they did, what did they expect. Sharks are not stupid, if you give them food everytime there is a boat around, well even if you do not have food they will be attracted. I do not know if that is what happened here. But I have heard of them chumming the water so divers will have sharks to look at.
They did not mention that in the article, but it would be interesting to know.
Random killing of sharks is not going to be helpful.
Been to Australia, and loved it, going back later this year. I am even a PDAI certified diver and love the waters there....
That being said, the water is the Sharks environment, humans as swimmers and divers are the intruders. Now if the sharks start intruding up on land, I would support a culling program.
Idiotic, racist, generalizing dip@!$%# alert! One whom doesn't know the difference between your and you're.
The only ones that may be simple about the risks of diving, especially a mile out, are the tourists and those making $$ off of them; the Aussies I believe know the dangers, the risks, and those that engage calculate them and the odds then determine they are worth what they get out of the activities.
I find it hard to believe that most Australians support the idea of wild abandon shark hunting, nor believe that enough info is even in yet to determine reasons for more attacks; it could be more people, more tourism than previous years..... change in ocean currents, chumming for tourists in certain areas drawing sharks in, loss of viable food sources (over fishing)... just too many variables, but I'm seriously doubting that sharks are 'on the attack' and this is an over population or Jaws type movie scenario of stalking.
Isn't Australia that country where they filmed The Sound of Music that starred Mary Poppins?
Sheriff Brody from Amittyville here. If sharks are in the water and you decide to swim in the water with the man eating shark. GO RIGHT AHEAD YOU MORONIC IDIOT!
Hey, did you know. To a shark, people taste like chicken, except for Steve. He taste like a snickers bar.
Why kill or cull sharks because you want to swim where they live? They were there first. I say ban humans from swimming or diving there. Leave the sharks alone. We don't need to kill or cull a shark because it is in its natural habitat. Remove humans that aren't in their natural habitat.
All I can say is I would not go in a jungle area teeming with tigers so it must not take much of a brain to go into water infested with sharks.
Why are we even discussing this?!?
The Gulf of Mexico is so crappy, what fish wouldn't migrate if they could? The Pacific has an island of plastic garbage so big you can build a condo on it, and now all the debris from the Japanese tsunami is headed towards the West Coast. The Atlantic has been way over polluted, too. Anyone swam in the East or Hudson rivers lately? Where do you think they wind up?
So we blame the sharks for feeding in smaller and more concentrated areas? That's THEIR territory, and anyone who goes in the water takes an assumed risk. Always. Period. Maybe instead of killing the sharks, we should concentrate on cleaning up our oceans so they can have a bit more wiggle room.
The fact that they are concentrating around Australia is testament to the care that Australia has been taking to keep their coastal waters clean, especially the reef zones.
The sharks aren't the problem, we are.
mr shin... If you prison rejects from Europe are stupid enough to swim with sharks then I hope you all are eaten alive and turned into shark sh!t,
I find it ironic that the top predator in the ocean would eat/attack another species that has depleted the oceans of food. I think that's called karma, could be wrong thou.
Next someone will go on safari and get killed by a lion, and demand the extermination of lions as well.
Or get stung by a bee and want bees gone. Where does it stop?
"X" number of people have been killed by sharks!!! Out of how many that went into the water?
How many have just plain drowned in the ocean? Quick, drain the ocean so people don't drown in it....
I am guessing you stand a better chance of getting killed in a car accident than killed by a shark.
I would bet that the people that want the sharks gone drive a car as well.
Here is a thought, swim in a pool without sharks in it, or take the risk with the sharks.
Yes there is the argument that it might hurt the local economy.. That is always more important than the environment, right? Not in my book.
There is a reason the sharks are the top of the food chain, millions of years in the water has something to do with it. Swim with the ultimate killing machine, and you just might get killed.
Imagine that....
dog7 - most of us know enough about Australia to know that you're outcasts from the penal system and the worst racists in the world. The way you treat the aboriginal Australians is beyond the pale. Maybe you bastards are getting what you deserve. If you're stupid enough to swim in shark infested waters, you're all the well deserving recipients of this year's Darwin award. Go ahead - have a swim - mate.
There ya go. Kill the sharks. Who put that moron in charge? Face it,the water is the sharks home. If it's in the water they figure it's food. That simple. It's bad when some one is lost that way. If people go into the ocean they should assume the risk that, hey this might go bad. I don't see sharks coming on to land to snatch people up. Guess they've never considered that over fishing may be leading to some of the problems.
How many people have died climbing mount Everest? Guess we should level the mountain! So stupid, anybody with half a brain knows the risk involed in what they are doing, if you lose you only have yourself to blame.
Well if your dumb enough to go swimming where you can be the Prey, then by all means have a nice dip.
Darwin strikes again.
Larry
Good point. Swimming where sharks live does have risk, like mountain climbing or driving in Paris.
Do we know who attacked who, like Zimmerman and Martin, before we jump to conclusions. Are there witnesses, or video, or 911 audio, and is there law about standing your ground, or water I should say. Is the Shark racist, he is a great white? Was the scuba diver wearing a hooded diving suit? We need to answer questions before we draw conclusions. (sarcasm)
Pam Mont..... "The fact that they are concentrating around Australia is testament to the care that Australia has been taking to keep their coastal waters clean, especially the reef zones."
The reason that sharks...particularly Great Whites are "concentrating" around Australia is not a testament to anything other than Australia just happens to be where their food is.......Seals... and lots of them bring in the sharks and not the care anyone takes in keeping it clean.....
At least the real reason some want to cull the sharks is stated. Affecting tourism. Money. Not the tragic deaths. I especially like the statement in the article that says, "A 13 feet long Great White shark..." Been awhile since school days but that doesn't sound quite right.
Americans, Australian's , lol, your all Euro-Trash womb-mates, if you can't live with it, or understand it you kill it. I guess History is lost on those down-under like it is where ever the trash was dumped. Take a bath before you go into the water, stop playing with wallaby and grow a pair.
"Idiotic, racist, generalizing dip@!$%# alert! One whom doesn't know the difference between your and you're."
Mr Shin (1.22), just where in the post was race mentioned? "Racist" may be the most mis-used term in the English language today.
I agree with your comment on the use of "your" and you're." I am astounded at how many Americans do not know the proper use/spelling. Did they all skip the 3rd grade?
I have a solution!
Let's have all the Aussies on the shore, and start pelting the sharks with double handfuls of Bondi trout!
I suppose it depends on how one values human life...but as man is the top predator on earth I think we should be eating a lot more shark.
But Bill, we must consider the delicate sensibilities of the bunny and tree huggers when suggesting that we actually try to do something to address the issue and solve the problem - too many sharks that have developed a taste for human beings which need to be eliminated.
God forbid we kill a few "extra" in the process of eliminating the real man eaters.
In Florida alligators and crocs are protected; they end up on golf courses and understandably end up attacking men, women and children. Florida keeps a directory of these incidents as well as the levels of severity and other details - race, age, locations, etc.
http://databases.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/ftlaudGatorAttacks/ftlaudGatorAttacks_list.php
My feeling is that there is a place for monsters of this type - in a zoo where they can't harm humans, or in locations where they are not likely to accidentally endanger a child or anyone else - like the middle of the Everglades where if you go there then you have only yourself to blame if you get eaten.
However, if they are near civilization - eliminate them entirely. Throughout history they served a purpose obviously otherwise they wouldn't be still in existence, but when they are allowed to interlope into areas that have been taken over by humans - well, time to declare open season.
Sharks, of course, given the fact they are in the open ocean present an almost impossible problem to solve. Perhaps the folks who like to dive in Australia should just realize that "it's not safe to go back into the water yet."
Shark has a strong taste and it's full of heavy metals. Leave it alone, it's not good for anyone. Yes, I've tasted it.
Stoops, fewer than 100 people have been killed by alligators and crocks in Florida since records have been kept. Is this a huge problem? More people are killed by lightning strikes and bee stings...if you want 100% safety, live in a bubble.
Yeah Bill, but that's only true if we can kill the sharks before they kill us. The sharks have the same strategy it looks like, lol
I am always amazed by idiot statements like
lol. i totally agree...no offense Aussies. The water belongs to the sharks...we are mammals :)
First, the water is full of mammals - ever hear of dolphins?
Second humans are animals too and it is natural for them to be in any environment in which their capabilities take them. Using our nature-given brains, we are quite natural in the water, and it does not belong to the sharks. It belongs to the fittest in that environment, and that is us.
Peridot-1693859
If one of the 100 that were killed by alligators in Florida were your child, sister, brother, mother or father,would you consider that as an "acceptable" loss in terms of the wonderful "gain" that results from allowing these pre-historic monsters to live in proximity to humans?
Next time they need someone to step up to the plate to become alligator food, why don't you volunteer to stand in for them. For instance:
Alligator tries to drag 90-year-old woman into a Florida canal
http://articles.cnn.com/2011-09-01/us/florida.alligator.attack_1_alligator-florida-canal-unprovoked-attacks?_s=PM:US
Or perhaps, you feel there is something also wrong with making schools drug free zones or making pedophiles register and not being allowed to be in contact with children?
It is unfortunate that there naturally come into being conflicts between nature as it used to be and reality as it now is, but if it is choice between you, or a kid or anyone losing their life simply because some rabid environmental tree hugger is worried about protecting a killer species; well, then hands down my vote goes to protecting human life and if to do that we must eliminate the threat by eliminating it from environs where it constitutes a threat to humans - so be it. We need more alligator skin shoes and luggage.
We can't control getting struck by lightning or being in a car accident; but we can eliminate alligators from canals like the one inhabited by the 9 foot one that grabbed and tried to make a meal out of the 90 year old woman in the article cited above.
Ah, Cricket. Good point. Respect for the shark who was able to bring one of the fittest down!
I am always amazed by idiot statements like
I feel the same Cricket for poor souls like you that can't take light of any comment and have make personal attacks against the author.
Let me correct myself...not mammals, but primates. I know that dolphins are mammals, but I didn't see anywhere in the story where a dolphin ate anyone?
And btw, The shark won, and I guarantee that you would have lost that round also
Shark has a GREAT flavor... Jersey Shore restaurants serve broiled 'Mako' steaks and get top dollar for it.
It's really a tasty and healthy dish. We prefer it over many other forms of seafood.
QUOTE: "".if you want 100% safety, live in a bubble.""
Living "in a bubble" is really not very realistic as a solution... Why not simply cull out those animals who present a serious danger to us? We do it with our own killers.
I don't know about acceptable loss, but it certainly is an unfortunate one. I wouldn't be calling for the death of all of them. It's not like they are killing out of revenge or spite. That's reserved for the human species.
What problem? If you swim in waters where sharks are known to be, you have decided to assume the risk of going into the water. To call a species a problem for being in the only environment it can survive in, is ridiculous at best.
Where did this come from? Why are you even bringing up drug free school zones and child predators? Serioulsy. What do pedophiles have to do with shark attacks?
if the naysayers talk about let the sharks live how about put you in the water with a great white and they can tell him they are on his side i am sure he will listen real well between bites how bout you teach sharks to fear man a little then we all can share the water
NYMike
If it is a good idea to exclude drug pushers and pedophiles from areas frequented by children, should it not be deemed just as consistent with their protection to make sure that man eating reptiles - such as alligators - be equally banished - especially since eliminating the alligators is actually something that can be accomplished - with more or less complete certitude; as opposed to the fact it is almost impossible to stop drug pushers and pedophiles from raising their hoary heads?
Re "Acceptable or unacceptable loss" I am not calling for the annihilation of all alligators - simply the annihilation of them in areas where they are likely to injure humans. Which part of pre-historic monsters and children and humans does not a life giving mix make, doesn't make sense?!
Re sharks and the ocean - I agree completely with you - if someone is stupid enough to go diving in the the area of the ocean that everyone knows is be home to the largest number of great white sharks anywhere, one is "asking for it." (And by getting themselves killed helping to improve the intelligence quotient for genetics in the human species as a whole.)
Which is why I said it is, for all practical purposes, it is ridiculous to talk about going after the sharks - however, I won't cry if more than a few are killed.
Anyway, there are sharks that inhabit the oceans and sharks that walk on land, and in my humble opinion if they threaten human life - well, they each have made a very bad choice, and the world will truly be a better place without any of them.
Anyway, there are sharks that inhabit the oceans and sharks that walk on land
The sharks that walk on land are also known as republicans!!
For those calling to kill all the " monsters" that intermingle with humans on their land...just keep in mind who was on that land first. Man pushed their way onto the " monsters " land so we should be the ones learning to adapt. I live in Florida and with a little common sense manage not to have any problems with any of these " monsters " and I spend a lot of time in the woods camping, hunting and fishing. It seems I have more problems with the humans which I would consider the real monsters.
Too bad dslodge - that was then this is now. Humans are more important than feeding reptiles. Just because you don't mind risking being snatched by a gator doesn't mean innocent children or adults feel the same way.
I might want to see what a live tiger looks like in a zoo, but that doesn't mean I want to encounter one in my neighborhood because a tree hugging, bunny hugging environmentalists might think they should be "respected" and allowed free roaming right!
If a rabid animal was loose in a neighborhood, no one would suggest it should not be removed, but if a pre-historic monster - which is what they are - happens to show up we should defer to their "right" to exist? You gotta be kidding? I wonder how you will feel if one day one of your children becomes breakfast for a gator? Mayhap then you will wake up and smell the coffee and realize that there is a time and place for everything and the time and place for alligators is past and not in the here and now where humans live.
As opposed to killing everything that could kill you, not diving in dangerous water is a more logical solution to the "getting eaten by a shark problem", Stoops2Conquer.
I grew up right along the coast of the Atlantic. I became a Surfer at a very young age, I used to enjoy Surfing until I moved to Florida but after seeing how over populated Florida's beaches were with sharks I gave up Surfing; I also had the misfortune of witnessing 3 of my childhood friends and about half a dozen more people being EATEN ALIVE BY SHARKS!!! I do not care for sharks, kill as many as you can. save a few on water reservoirs and let us humans enjoy the beaches without the fear of being EATEN by these blood thirsty man eaters. The hell with the Sharks and any other wild creature that poses a treat to us!!!!
We are the ones going into the sharks territories, they are not invading OUR homes. Oh right, we have to have recreational activities........ so too bad for the sharks.
Maybe sharks have their own version of the "Stand Your Ground Law" and are just defending themselves. After all, we are breaking into their home.
Recreational activities have never triggered that much interest by sharks. It used to be their predation was related to opportunity or mistake. Now I think they are responding to the increased killing of their species in Asia by amputating their fins as bogus aphrodisiacs, after which they are left to die (by drowning or bleeding to death) in the water. Maybe a couple dying sharks told their compatriots whodunnit. They finally recognize humans as enemies.
wow! Thoushall! that is impressive! you have witnessed EVERY SINGLE fatal shark attack in florida since 1979! and 3 were your friends!
^ there is the ENTIRE list of fatal shark attacks since records started being accurately kept, you have personally witnessed about 40% in the last 30+ years.... do I need to call BS anymore or do you feel admitting yer an idiot?
Shark populations have decreased by 90% already, and our oceans are on the brink of ecologic collapse. If you want to see what happens when you remove a species, especially an apex predator, from a system, just google "wolves eliminated from Yellowstone". If you enjoy eating seafood, you will want to keep sharks around. Part of the reason sea food is getting so hard to find now is the animals who eat them are no longer being preyed upon by sharks. Here's an idea, if you don't want to be eaten, don't go in the water when there have been recent shark sightings.
In other news...animals worldwide call for a cull to the 7 billion human population inhabiting THEIR ecosystem. Human beings may have brains, and most of us have the ability to reason, but by far the human species is not superior. If so, why can't we kick cancer? why do we die of heart disease? why can't we stop polluting where we eat and drink? Why can't our stomachs handle the bacteria in untreated waterways? It seems as though our weaknesses are lauded as our strengths, when in all reality, our "strengths" are just reactions to our inherent weakness in the modern environment. when it's all said and done, science, technology, engineering, math, the arts are just decay when it all crumbles and falls apart.
If you all are so tough, why don't you continue to swim with the predators as human beings have done for centuries. a few people out of 7 billion isn't statistically significant, even if it is someone's significant friend or family member. Remember, people die all the time that are significant to someone - does the world stop? does everyone care? nope...now, if 3.5 billion people were killed in one year due to something, then that is significant.
Can you imagine if that 'WHITE SHARK' ate a black kid here in the US. My god they would be calling for a lynching, even if the shark was really Hispanic
Alright, here is one for you math whizzes:
If sharks kill humans at a rate of 80/yr, how many humans are killed in 1 year?
Answer: Let's ask Chelsea
You folks have come up with a lot of tasteless jokes.
Fortunately, sharks aren't looking for people with good taste, they're looking for people that TASTE GOOD!
They say that the odds of winning the lottery are about as high as getting attacked by a shark... I think I'll stick to the lottery.
Gigantor
We haven't kicked cancer because the American Cancer Society and all the surgeons would all be out of business, that's why. It's all about money my friend.
But in your defense, humans are really stupid, they don't seem to be able to learn. Century after century we keep killing each other and killing our 'less intelligent' creatures on the planet along the way. Personally I think the humans on the planet are the lowest life form. Stupid Stupid Stupid.
QUOTE
Gigantor
We haven't kicked cancer because the American Cancer Society and all the surgeons would all be out of business, that's why. It's all about money my friend.
Yeah the FDA does not give 2 craps either. Do a youtube search of Cancer Cure Documentary - Dr. Burzynski and see how our government really cares about curing cancer. Listen Cancer is a trillion dollar business when you factor doctor, hospital, PHARMA and all other treatments. Dr. Burzynski's work has shown the most promise yet the FDA sued him every year becuase he is not linked to big RX companies
Scott Kiddervia Facebook
wow! Thoushall! that is impressive! you have witnessed EVERY SINGLE fatal shark attack in florida since 1979! and 3 were your friends!
^ there is the ENTIRE list of fatal shark attacks since records started being accurately kept, you have personally witnessed about 40% in the last 30+ years.... do I need to call BS anymore or do you feel admitting yer an idiot?
#2.21 - Sun Apr 1, 2012 3:33 PM EDT
Mr. Kidder,
Your lack of reading skills is appalling!!! Therefore I won't call YOU an idiot like you called me instead I will try to put my self in your shoes, and make an effort to comprehend that you're a person that obviously has a reading challenge issue. never did I mention that the tragic events that I have witness occurred in Florida; which is why I stated that as soon as I moved to Florida I stop surfing. I would gladly give the location as to where these traumatic and horrible events took place, but in doing so I would be giving away enough information for LUNATICS like yourself to pin point me thus forcing me to use my LEGAL RIGHTS TO STAND MY GROUND. Do you catch my drift you ignorant, fault mouthed reading challenge incompetent?
WeRdoomed.
I agree with you - and said so in my earlier post to which you were responding. If people are dumb enough to go into the ocean then they have only themselves to blame when they run into a shark.
However, I do not feel that way about alligators living in canals in Florida for all of the reasons I cited earlier. That is a totally different situation; one where we can exert a degree of control and effect a solution that can more or less completely solve the problem of alligator attacks.
Stoops2Conquer
You have to be the dumbiest person of the earth .... No really you are. I really hope you dont breed, if you have please kill your offspring and then yourself. Do your part in making this world a better place to live in.
As we eat more and more of shark food, it is only natural that sharks turn to us for food. I love water, but I'm always very watchful and carry a large knife when in water.
The comments about killing off the sharks and alligators (or any other thing that kills humans) is pretty ignorant. If we decide to do this, when do we start killing off the humans? Humans are the greatest killer of other humans. Humans pose way more risk than any other animal. If we go on the proposed philosophy of taking out the predators that kill humans then we are screwed as humans because than means we must take out the biggest threat, other humans.
Yeah blame all the wildlife -- the deer hitting your car, the starving bear raiding your garbage, kill them all.
But wait a minute-- could it be there are more people on the planet (as targets) rather than too many shark?. Do some research, Australia: sharks are becoming endangered globally
Do we need sharks for any type of balance? I know some people think we need everything for balance, but seeing how many millions of species have died off in the history of earth - I doubt it is true.
If there was a T-Rex in Texas, what would we do it? Stay our distance? Or put it in captivity?
Get rid of all sharks. Get rid of every that is dangerous to man and does not serve a purpose. Seem heavy handed? Well, when our sun dies, goes supernova and incinerates earth, they are dead anyways right? So, it's not like they have the potential to survive indefinitely anyways, unless Man saves them by taking them to another planet.
They eat us, and we should save them? Yeah, FU sharks! You are LUCKY I don't go to the beach Mofo's.
Most of the time shark attacks are the problem of the victim only.
People like to swim in the morning or at late afternoon-evening when the sharks are most active and feeding.
They swim in the same areas as the shark's food source, such as near seals or near areas where fishermen frequent and dump bait/undesierable fish.
Their frantic splashing makes them interesting to sharks who might make an investigation with their teeth.
They ignore signs and warning from officials who are knowlegeable.
Granted, you can still get eaten by a shark if you do everything to avoid them, but it's highly unlikely.
The best way to avoid shark attacks is to stay out of the water. Sharks aren't coming into our houses, let's stay out of theirs. If you want to cross the water, take a boat. Simple.
Seems like a lot of people are so forgiving of sharks because it is the humans that are infringing on their territory. That's rather magnanimous of them. However, I bet they would be singing a different tune if their father, brother or mother were killed and eaten in a shark attack.
As for me, I would advocate for taking advantage of this larger brain that nature gave us and find a solution that doesn't significantly upset the prey/predator balance of the local oceanic environment. Personally, I would only be worried about that only if it negatively impacts us as a species. If it didn't, I would be down with killing every one of the toothy b*(^ards and adding them to Our dinner table.
Unfortunately, killing every shark would almost certainly have some negative repercussions for us. But, if culling the sharks would reduce the number of shark attacks, then I am all for it. I don't care if it is their so called environment. The sharks have been here many millions of years before us and, as I see it now, they will be here millions of years after us. A little culling is not going to impact their long term survival nor ours.
The problem isn't too many sharks, it is too many people. This is true about alligators also. The gators were always there, we moved into their neighborhoods, they did not move into ours ! Gators by the way are eaten for food ( supposedly great with grits ) and many larger gators are culled from golf courses and neighborhoods. They are also hunted for skin. Developments build in and around the Everglades have shrunk the size of the Everglades and the gators have no where to go.
In general, gators make better neighbors than people.
ThePlainTruthNC....The answer is simple, stay out of their dinner bowl !
Why the rise in Shark Attacks ????????
You don't have to look very hard or far to find the answer. Lack of natural pray. Over harvesting of fish stocks leaves less fish for sharks to feed on . Also loss of coral reefs , which provides homes for smaller fish and a larger variety for sharks to feed upon. Man has caused the problem and sharks are doing what they need to do to survive.
bob
Agree Bob.
That is certainly a possibility - would have been a logical area of study to mention in the article under the "scientific background needed" subject. Maybe it is just that some sharks have learned that the slow humans are tasty food and easier to catch than seals, fish, and other natural prey.
mailman8
Nice try but I don't buy it.
The normal ratio of predator to pray is 11 to 1, 11 pray animals for every 1 predator animal. At that ratio all species remain healthy and in balance. If that ratio is changed for any reason then the system is out of balance and will correct itself over time.
In the case of sharks wright now their are to few pray fish and to many sharks. Sharks are like any other predator. They do what ever it takes to survive and that is what is happening now.
bob
prey
Bob1 you seem awfully sure of yourself ... "man has caused the problem". me thinks you may have consumed too much propaganda and are now behaving much like a machine that has a very limited language and no ability to process ideas that require responses outside of what you're programmed to output. But it's cute you think that way.
if fish stocks and reefs are lowered for what ever reason then naturely nature would correct itself and there would be less preadators by nature itself, so your thoughts on the matter have no logic,
STexan
Look at the problem and think for yourself . How many tons of fish are pulled from the ocean each year times how many years has the ocean been over fished ???? The answer is depleted fish stocks, which means less food for us and shark alike. It has also been proven that coral is dying from drugs washed into the ocean from land run off. Also fertiliser run off which causes alge blooms. The alge dyes and sinks to the bottom covering the coral, there by killing it. No coral means less habat for other fish to grow and thrive. Again fewer fish means less food for the sharks as well as you and I. It is not rocket science but common sence.
bob
Didn't you guys bring in rabbits so a few aristocrats could have small game to plink - like they did back home in England?
How did that work out?
Most sharks that can be classified as man-eaters don't eat fish...it isn't worth the expended energy to hunt something that small...they tend to eat much larger prey, like seals and small walruses that are rich in fat; the smaller species that do live off of fish wouldn't attack a human - they might bite one if they felt threatened, but man isn't it's natural prey and is usually much larger than the shark.
Of course, then there is the tiger shark that will eat anything...
And they brought in rainbow trout too so people could fish for them. But no one is complaining about them.
yeah bob... finally someone with commone sense
For those who might be upset at the idea of a "cull" of any species in its own natural habitat, including sharks: take heart. Our own species is not exempt from subjection to these very cycles.
bigru - you forgot the bull shark. The bull shark is responsible for more bites than any other shark and their primary diet is fish.
Regardless Bob, do sharks serve any purpose? If there were man eating serpents around all beaches, do you think man would just "not go in the water". No.
Asteroids, Gamma Ray Bursts, Sun dieing.... all will affect thi planet, some ending it. Sharks don't stand a chance anyways. When our sun dies, the ocean will burn up and evaporate. Only man will make it off onto other planets.
In my view, the shark is already dead. Millions of species have come and gone. The species that happen to be around while we have TV and the Internet are no more special.
Buh Bye sharks.
bob1/28.......don't bring religion into this, it is PREY, not PRAY !
Stay out of the water!! When sharks attack on land then cull them but in the water your food...
I think they have Sand sharks down-under, only they call them "crocodile Dundee's", they don't have brains enough to stay away from them either. Sorry guy's but killing for the sake of catching a wave is dumb.
Precisely. You don't want to be bitten, stay the f out of the water. We had a fatal attack here in the waters off of San Diego. Even his family stated they wouldn't want to hunt the sharks. You go in the water, you know the risks. What an asanine approach to take.
Why is it that somebodys' blunder always makes the news. After seeing his brother on TV, I see it's Gay Bashing. If you swimm with skarks(land, sea)............
agree, but it is you're, not your.
One mile off shore to go diving and we're surprised he was attacked? This is THEIR domain, not ours, and yet AGAIN we blame the sharks. Leading up to these deaths, you'd think previous attacks would kind of mean "Hey, maybe I shouldn't go diving!", but alas, man's mentality that he's invincible rules out over common sense. Like anything in life, you play the game, you risk your life..............even sharks understand this! No we need to have a massive cull?! Truly a joke.......and Australia's worried about tourist dollars? In a country where everything stings or bites, you'd think they'd understand they don't live in Disneyland, but I'm from another country where we keep everything in check!
Bravo fritzNH!- but alas, man's mentality that he's invincible rules out over common sense.
Bravo to Alur! -There are hundreds of less dangerous diving destinations. "Thinning" out a species will cause repercussions by changing the natural balance. It's only a temporary fix and may have very bad long term consequences.
It truly amazes me how we humans think we rule over all creatures on Earth. The reason for this mentality always boils down to the mighty dollar.
I am truly sorry for the divers that died. My condolences to the families. But, they knew there was a chance; even if the odds were in their favor.
Do what they do when there is a box jelly fish swarm - close the beach.
I think we should cull rednecks and retardicans.
Unfortunately Beowulf, we have too many "Mayor Vaughns" in the world and "closing the beaches loses $$$" so CULL THEM SHARKS dang it!!!!!
I'm from the Caribbean, and when I was 6 years old, I saw a little girl grabbed by a shark and pulled out to sea, her body was never found. If every shark in the world disappeared tomorrow, I would not break a sweat, nor do I think there would be an ecological disaster. I have never understood the human desire to save animals whose primary focus is to eat creatures like us. Would cat's get upset if every dog in the world died? Would a deer miss the Lions? If a Tiger suddenly decided you were tonight's dinner, would you still try to save it, even when it was in the process of eating you? The worst way to die is to be eaten by another creature alive. I would not wish that death on anyone.
You're a f-ing idiot. Sharks are part of a larger eco-system that you yourself are a part of. When you destroy organisms of an ecosystem you disrupt the balance of that eco system and create more problems than you solve. We see infinitely more humans killing humans than sharks killing humans yet we don't call for the eradication of humans do we? Feel free to educate yourself on the imporatnce of sharks in our ecosystems so not to make a complete fool of yourself in a public forum.
I kind of agree. We got rid of wolves mostly in the U.S. and Europe a long time ago. I mean, hundreds of years ago, it was a bit dicey going out in the forest, now these creatures are confined to small areas and are easily avoided. I think not even one person should die to sharks. If the guy was too far off the shore, ok, we probably shouldn't be out there. But there is something to be said for claiming the territory from predators, as we have done on every continent in the world at this point. We do have to protect our own, even one human death is terrible. P.S. Love the people who say others should die to animal attacks because they are stupid, I mean really, think about what you are saying... are you a psychopath or something??
Bear, you would be wrong. Scallops, oysters, lobsters and longusta are the prey of octopi. Sharks eat octopi, without sharks there would be far fewer shellfish that people enjoy.
What's so difficult to understand? Remove an important part of it and the system crashes.
i believe your right,if all the sharks were gone it would have no effect on the ecosystem at all, there are plenty of other fish in the sea to replace what they do,plus man has become so intelligent that we can correct any problem in nature,
@tera-1025454,
We got rid of wolves? You make it sound like a positive thing. I'm not sure where you live, but I see wolves on occasion (central NY) and they are not a problem. However, there are still not as many wolves as there should be, and an excessive amount of deer, so our area now has the problem of too many coyotes that catch little dogs and outdoor cats, as well as get hit by cars (let me tell you, hitting one is NOT fun). The fact that we don't have wolves to keep the coyotes in check, means that the coyotes have free reign...except for all the hunters in our area who get coyotes and deer. Then there are also the bears who wander into towns, because we took over their homes, and ransack garbage cans, etc. Maybe if we got rid of all predatory animals, this wouldn't be a problem (sarcasm). Humans need to learn to co-exist with animals, not kill them off.
What is wrong with you? Of the 350 species of sharks only about 20 of them have been known to prey on humans at some time. And virtually all shark attacks are done by the same 4-5 species of sharks (great whites, bulls, tigers, and 2 others). Just because one hungry shark found a girl for lunch it doesnt mean all sharks are dangerous man eaters. WE TASTE BAD TO SHARKS, and we are way too boney. Oh, and all the sharks in the world play a very vital role in the entire ocean's ecosystem. If they all died, the rest of the ocean ecosystem would fall apart. You have the right to fear the one shark that preyed on that girl, and the other individual sharks that preyed on other people, but you have no right to want all the sharks in the world to go away. And in case you didnt already know, many sharks are being over fished to threatening numbers. Humans are the threat to sharks, but if you dont want to get attacked then stay out of waters where sharks are known to exist. After all, it's their domain not ours
joycetim... you commented the following:
"if fish stocks and reefs are lowered for what ever reason then naturely nature would correct itself and there would be less preadators by nature itself, so your thoughts on the matter have no logic,"
and
if all the sharks were gone it would have no effect on the ecosystem at all, there are plenty of other fish in the sea to replace what they do,plus man has become so intelligent that we can correct any problem in nature,
If you are still in grade school, then please forgive my following comment; but both of these comments of yours very ignorant. Please read a book before posting again.
I really don't think you anyone on this comment board knows anything. People, we are pert of nature, we don't control it. We have eliminated other predators and guess what, we ended up having problems wjth over-population with thier prey animals. Then those animals died an even slower more painful death due to starvation or illnes. Yes, it is tragic that someone died,but if a shark came into your home would you not defend your home. Same goes for the shark. Not to mention that we are not on top of the food chain. Sometimes we are the predator, sometimes the prey.
Peridot-1693859
Wrong. There have been millions of species that died off - where are all the crashed ecosystems? The ecosystem doesn't crash, it evolves. Besides, man has the power to affect ecosystems any way it wants. So, just compensate.
Truth is, if we planted a few electrified human dummies in the ocean with some blood around it, after a few million 20 amp shocks to sharks aroudn the earth, we could train them to stay away from objects with for thin apendages.
You're more likely to die from a deer collision in your car than by a shark attack. Can we cull some more deer? After all, they are pretty tasty.
bear112153.....You really don't get it, do you. People who do not understand the balance of nature are far more dangerous than the sharks and gators !
That's not surprising, since their primary focus is NOT to eat creatures like us.
You have the entire internet at your disposal. Try reading a little before you make a fool of yourself in public next time.
Not to mention, if that we re true, there would be thousands of deaths yearly, or our species would be barred from entering the water.
Klone is right! One must understand the balance required by nature for everything to do what it does. Read a little: good advice, but falling short on the expectations of the responders here. Sharks are partially responsible for cleaning up all the garbage of the seas - though they eat a lot, they are also intelligent enough to NOT eat the really nasty stuff. We have seasons (in America) for things I disagree with, but fully understand the necessity of, such as deer hunting, turkey season, and even moose hunting. I'm not a hunter, but know if these populations were allowed to propagate beyond the natural world, then traffic fatalities and disease would become epidemic (have you seen what a 7'5"1200lb moose can do to a car?)......but culling all sharks in an area is a bit over the top............but in their defense, Australians are know for protecting their wildlife, so one can only assume that this cull will be carried out professionally by others rather than shark-hunting boat owners who only see dollar signs!
They will never Cull them unless they can prove, without a doubt it was the Shark responsible. We respect our environment. Wish you guys did
The desire to save life is part of saving the planet, ecosystem, read about it...
dog7 - "we respect the environment..." How much respect do you "fine aussies" show the aborigines? Don't pretend for a second that aussies can take any high moral ground over any other race or country in the world. All your comments on this topic just show you're a racist who hates the USA and its citizens. Stay down under where you belong. Enjoy your wildfires, fool.
" You caught a shark, not THE shark". Matt Hooper
dog7
Dog7, as in your environment, do you mean like an Asteroid that will smash earth and vaporize most life as it has int he past? Or do you mean Gamma Ray bursts that can incinerate life in a second, without warning? Or did you mean when our sun dies, goes supernova, and incinerates all of earth?
Which of those do Australians respect? Earths days are numbered. Our only savior is sceince and getting off this planet.
You need to respect your own species first, THEN the environment. Maybe if the Aussies pitched in more to the Space programs, our species would have a better chance at survival. Your space agency is twice as old as ours and WTF have you done with it?
No, you care more about something that is only temporary.
I know it's after the fact, but why travel from TX to Australia to scuba dive? There are hundreds of less dangerous diving desitinations. Australia's waters are known for sharks even before the latest incidents.
"Thinning" out a species will cause repercusions by changing the natural balance. It's only a temporary fix and may have very bad long term consequences.
Yes Bear112153, It is called balance. Sharks are the top predators in the sea. When they go, so does the balance on coral reefs all over the world. They keep in check the top pelagic species that feed on the smaller fish, which keeps the algae in check and makes the coral grow. Simplified version but that is how they keep balance. It is amazing when you find a statistic on something we FEAR like sharks and blow it out of proportion. If you really want to get technical, then how many of them do WE kill each year. Millions. You are more likely to be killed by a person than a shark statistically, but of course we don't want to kill those humans do we. WE are the worst predator on the face of the earth. WE do more damage, kill more people, and cause more destruction than any other animal on the planet. That is why Bear112153, you were created with a higher intelligence. You are suppose to use it to outwit those DUMB animals. People sadly, don't use that part of their body much. How do you outsmart a shark? You don't go swimming in those areas where they are prone to be and have had previous attacks in those areas. I swam in Australia many years ago. They have all kinds of measures to keep people safe in those areas that people swim in. When you go outside those boundaries, you make yourself vulnerable to any predator.
well said
Gull your comment of "Sharks are the top predators in the sea" May be wrong
Your comment may have thought to have been true around 15 yrs ago but something was witnessed on Oct. 4, 1997. This was the killing of a Great White by a Killer Whale "Orca". This was off the coast of Calf. Since then there have now been more acounts of this as the dolphins"Orca" have learned ho to defeat the white shark and are teaching other Orcas how to do this. When this was first witnesses back in '97 there were reported to be 100 plus Great Whites in the area. After the killing not one Great White could be found in that area even though they were there to feed on seals which they had done there for generations. A Great White will avoid an Orca at all costs so I really doubt this would make them the top predator of the sea
Cars kill more people than sharks. Maybe we should cull them too. I think people should stay out of the ocean.
Zack, you had me until your last sentence. Whenever I enter the salt water, it's with the knowledge that I'm a part of the food web. I accept that.
Whether you know it or not, simply being alive means we're all a part of the food web. We eat, therefore we can be eaten. If you don't think a grizzly bear could escape the zoo and find you, or a rattler hide in a potted plant and tag you, you are living in denial.
We're all made of meat. When we're dead we rot unless we're embalmed or refrigerated, or do you think you're special? Doubt it.
"God creates dinosaurs. God destroys dinosaurs. God creates man. Man destroys God. Man creates dinosaurs. Dinosaurs eat man … woman inherits the earth."
That said, we are still an animal, we constantly kill our own kind in war, and in anger, hatred you name it, as a human race we destroy entire animal species in addition to our own kind. Mother nature retaliates, we retaliate right back. We will be our own destruction.
Thank you for reminding me to keep my CAR out of the water. I'm sure the sharks won't mind a lot less of our CRAP in there either.
"I think tree huggers should stay out of oxygen"
Talk about a lack of oxygen. Think much?
People do dangerous things for recreation, and then are surprised when someone is hurt or killed. A mile offshore is the sea "wilderness", same as if one goes camping alone or with only one other in the high country and gets killed by a mountain lion...or goes wading in the everglades and is killed by an alligator...or goes skiing off-trail and gets caught in an avalanche.
Don't go into "nature" for fun and then blame nature when something unfortunate happens.
Who is blaming nature? The ignorant pogues here who are doing so likely have never dived in their lives nor have they ever seen a shark in the wild. I have done and for the most part they're more afraid of you than you are of them.
Many thousands of people are killed in auto accidents each year, yet there's screaming about 4 shark deaths. Each year there are ten or fewer deaths from shark incidents. Perspective, please.
We eat the sharks food and they eat us I don't see a problem. Has somebody tried telling the sharks that eating people is bad for them we are full of chemicals and preservatives?
Gee lets see, your a mile off shore, in the sharks back yard, where by the way he/she is at the top of the food chain not you. This just like the bear attacks here in the Western USA, dude on the streets of New York man might be at the top of the food chain, but in their back yard you aint nuttin but a snack!!!
did not see your post before posting mine.
Stay out of the oceans, stay out of the woods full of grizzly bears, etc. unless you are willing to accept the fact that you are entering the homes of predators where man is not the top of the food chain. It always amazes me that people want to kill off these creatures because they are doing what they do to survive.
The animals are not to blame !!
Life is dangerous. No one gets out alive.
top of the food chain my ass if your diving near sharks your fair game
And Renee "hates puppies".
The media have a lot of culpability in this. More people die every year from dog bites, yet it's SHARK ATTACK that makes the headlines. Sharks kill fewer than 10 human beings a year on average -- of the millions upon millions of humans that go into the ocean. That's all. How many sharks do humans kill every year? Over 70 million, by some estimates. Where are the stories on THAT?
That's right, 70 million sharks slaughtered every year. I'm not so sure any more "culling" is really necessary.
Who doesn't LOVE shark steaks? Best fish I have ever had. I have to say though, the ocean is a very unpredictable place. I do not believe we need to kill the sharks so hippies can go surfing. If you want to play in that park, you enter at your own risk.
what do they think that will accomplish? there are so many and not all are in that area at the same time, so they will kill some and others will take their place.
at least its not the states, they would ban sharlk or make them illegal and ban swimming.
heheh
if you don't want to get attacked by sharks , then stay out of the water people. I'm shocked they want to go on a killing spree of sharks , because sharks attacked/killed people in the water :/ first stop over fishing the waters and maybe they stop EATING people ...if you get in to a animals feeding zone and there hungry..you just became food to them . Its sad that these people were killed, but really they chose to get in waters know for sharks and Great white sharks at that . Its a risk all divers have to deal with .
So you already TOLD US Renee along with your BIG GUN when you go into the woods. You certainly have a fascination with murdering animals in THIER territory.
So, would you like to be in the woods when a bear charges at you, and not have a weapon to defend yourself?
Each and every person KNOWS or should know the risks they take when they enter the waters of KNOWN shark filled waters. If they don't then they deserve to be eatin in the first place. Leave the sharks alone they are only doing what comes naturally. Yes, I feel bad for the divers that lost there lives but we have brought this on ourselves. we have badly depleted the oceans resources the sharks are taking every opportunity it can to eat!! Forget trying to make a buck on tourism, make your money other ways that doesn't hurt the wild life.
I feel very bad for the man and his family..... but when you swim, dive, surf, whatever you do in anothers territory..... this will always be the result.
Until man has made a suit that withstands a shark attack or other animal attack you need to use your common sense.
There are such suits. Unfortunately they're uncomfortable and expensive and difficult to use.
When you play with fire, you can get burnt. When you swim with sharks, ahh you know the rest...
Don't blame the sharks for the stupidity of some people... I have an idea for making money down under... pay to swim with sharks or play with black mambas, and/or wrestle croc's. Each has it's own set of rules and any one can pay to play... just an idea!
God forbid that humans might consider staying out of the water! No let's try to keep the fish outta the water first, that should be much easier. And fair
I too am sorry for the most recent death of a diver, but culling is not the way to go. In almost every instance where man has tried to interfere with nature, the results usually worsen the situation or are devastating. If you know you will be in an area with potential predators, be prepared to defend yourself. In shark areas carry a bang stick, in bear or wolf areas carry a suitable weapon, etc. We need to stop messing with the planet on large scales. It's not good for any of us.
Sounds like a rogue shark. Get it if you can but don't kill them all hoping to get the one.
Wouldn't catch me scuba diving off the SW coast of Australia. That's what the Discovery Channel is for.
chances of getting eaten by a shark while scuba diving is about the same as winning the lottery this past week. Tens of thousands of divers in the Austrealian waters and one gets killed. Deer kill farmore people in the US than any other animal - and that is a fact. Of course we do cull them, but so maybe this isn't a great argument.