The Sharks are pushing back.
Or so it seems if one has a look at the venerable Shark pages of the Underwater Times. On top of a recent fatal attack, it appears that more and more Sharks are venturing to the Ozzie beaches, prompting mass evacuations, and scaring divers, kayakers (video!) and fishermen.
Some scientists attribute the apparent increase in numbers to successful Shark protection measures and warn of an increased risk of attacks as a consequence. Maybe this is partly correct, at least when it comes to Great Whites - but it is still a very unfortunate statement as it may well hinder Shark Conservation going forward.
Others beg to differ citing natural life cycles and flaws in the collection of data.
Naturally, we tend to side with the latter opinion, the more as the new Shark Count seems to be lacking any baseline data. Trends will only be visible in several years and until then, any interpretation cannot be more than educated guess. Also, is anybody analyzing the correlation to the number of aquatic recreationists?
Amid all the brouhaha, the other half of Bayden's fin has been recovered from Blueys Beach.
A bit of gaffer tape and he should be able to take it back out again!
Or so it seems if one has a look at the venerable Shark pages of the Underwater Times. On top of a recent fatal attack, it appears that more and more Sharks are venturing to the Ozzie beaches, prompting mass evacuations, and scaring divers, kayakers (video!) and fishermen.
Some scientists attribute the apparent increase in numbers to successful Shark protection measures and warn of an increased risk of attacks as a consequence. Maybe this is partly correct, at least when it comes to Great Whites - but it is still a very unfortunate statement as it may well hinder Shark Conservation going forward.
Others beg to differ citing natural life cycles and flaws in the collection of data.
Naturally, we tend to side with the latter opinion, the more as the new Shark Count seems to be lacking any baseline data. Trends will only be visible in several years and until then, any interpretation cannot be more than educated guess. Also, is anybody analyzing the correlation to the number of aquatic recreationists?
Amid all the brouhaha, the other half of Bayden's fin has been recovered from Blueys Beach.A bit of gaffer tape and he should be able to take it back out again!
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