Reunion Island: Shark hunt authorised by Mayor of Saint-Leu

Helmut Nickel, Shark Year Magazine,
30. July 2012

– A Radical Solution ?
The Mayor of a single Reunion commune opens the hunt for bull sharks
Authorities pay 2,- Euros per kilogram shark caught

Today Thierry Robert, the mayor of Saint-Leu, has issued a decree in which he allows the fishing for bull sharks (Carcharhinus leucas) all along the coast of Saint-Leu.

The commune of Saint-Leu is located south of Trois-Bassins where a surfer was fatally mauled by a shark last week (see here).

The mayor says that he ‘must act to safeguard the security of goods and people of his town’.
He also stresses that there is an economic interest for the city of Saint-Leu to maintain all leisure activities at sea within its territory.

Mr. Robert has made his announcement just days after protesters rallied in front of the prefecture building in Saint-Denis (see here).

“The hunt for bull sharks is permitted by any means, including spearfishing, day and night, throughout the maritime community of Saint-Leu, under the responsibility of the mayor and in accordance to the General Code of Local Authorities ( from shoreline to a limit of 300 meters from shore ).” the first article of the decree is quoted by a local information site.

To monitor these fishing activities, article 2 states that the killed predators should be handed over to municipality services at the marina of the city.

As a financial incentive to do so, the commune has agreed to pay for bull sharks with a minimum length of 1.50 metres. The fishermen will receive 2 Euros per kilogram ‘live weight’ for the first thirty bull sharks brought to the marina, starting from the date of publication of this order.

Like any administrative act, this order may be appealed to the Administrative Court within two months after its publication. But (according to another source) once transmitted to the prefecture, the implementation of the decree is only a matter of hours.

Note:

Because of the series of shark bite incidents, the authorities of Reunion Island already conducted a shark-fishing-operation last year that lasted for three days ( 27.-29. Sept 2011 ).
Please see our related posts :

27. September 2011 Reunion Shark Hunt has begun
29. September 2011 Reunion Shark Hunt – The Final Day

UPDATE August 1st :   Deputy Mayor Robert withdraws Shark Cull Order

Sources: zinfos974 and linfo.re

40 Comments

  1. Angel

    God Bless you people.
    Last year you tried it, what happened ?
    You think killing a few sharks will solve your problem ? What will happen if it does not solve it. ?
    Keep killing them all , around all the islands until your surfers are happy ?
    Giving economic reasons instead of human safety shows your morals clearly.
    Incompetant French Government and its local representative…
    I hope it will not get even worse, when you start the kill….
    Some so called humans are the only race on Mother Earth that kills for their own pleasure..
    Time will show and teach you the resukts of your selfishness and abuse of intelligence.
    If you did not curtain the facts about the old attacks for decades, you had already been in peace with the ocean..Now you have to talk about it because of internet and tourists coming in and out..
    The officials simply could not resist a few ignorant surfers… incapable politicians..

    • FOLIO

      I’m Criss from reunion island. I understand all the reactions here given to the fact that you don’t have all the facts. Before these 5 past years, most of the attacks were accidents due to unaware people surfing in dirty water or hellmen playing with danger. Always sad when it happens. There was 1 attack per year in reunion island. The conditions: dirty water, surfing at sunset or dawn, after cyclone, etc… But till 5 years they made a wild water reserve where people go surfing & to the beach, + a 1 mile of closed fish culture, exiting every predator around. And they also decide to pay a tax rather than treat the dirty water from the town (shit etc..), so this water go to the sea everywhere. The reef that was the sanctuary of reef sharks went almost dead. the reef shark population is now zero. Many scientists reports warn them about the danger. By “they” I mean the politics, deciders, leaders & buiseness men involved in fishing industry not so far from the island. Surfers, fishers, population on the shore warned them of the disaster. No more reef shark, wild reserve with crowd in the water, shit in the water, sightings of more & more bull sharks & charges on swimmers !!! Ecological catastrophy. So now, on less than 30 kilometers of coast, more than 42 shark alerts in less than 6 month. 9 attacks. 3 dead, 1 strongly injured. Bull shark is known to taste before releasing. But in all these cases, they attacked several times, eating 2 of the victims. They tried to eat every victims. This is not normal. Only one mayor tried to do something because water is infested & they’re now in the rivers. Thousands of them. Incredible but true !!! I’m not saying he’s got the solution, but he did that to make people understand that he’s not at the side of deciders having financial interest so high that it’s not good to them to do something. Before, we were crying for scientists, ecologists to help us restore the ecosystem of our reef. Now we’ve got lobbying & marketing communicants treating us surfers from reunion like fools. Where were you before when we cried for your help ????? My reef is distroyed, 3 of my friends are dead, it could have been me, my children would never get in this sea, so many family are crying, my people is in schock. Where were you when we were begging you to save our reef sharks, our reef our sea, when the media where not there, when powerfull people distroyed that & shot our mouths ??? where wher you ? Behind the internet ? Judging my pain ? Counting the killed sharks all over the world saying than 1 inocent peaople eaten at 10 meters from the shore is cothing compared to your cause ? Where were you when I was in the bloody water, when I was afraid, when I would have the power to keep the balence in the sea, when I was fighting with my leaders on the strikes before it happened ? Where were you ? I make nightmares every night & don’t tell me you have the ability to understand my pain… Look at the story of Recife in Brazil & you will understand. Everyday I praid god to save us. But the devil put some judges on me, treating me of a killer, doing nothing for us but criticize. No actions. Never. We cry the loss of our friends. Not you. You hate them, you hate us. What did we do to you? nothing. It’s like you’re crying more than us because we do not agree with you. Open your eyes on what you’re doing: criticizing & blaming pople in pain, victims. R.I.P. Mathieu; Alexandre, Teddy.

      • Angel

        Folio,I undertand your frustration. and that is very humane. That is what makes us.
        I am really sorry for your friends. Please see the posts on each attack subject for each of your friend. We share the feelings.
        Nobody had any idea about what went wrong with your local eco system. And please forgive me but I could not have any idea what was happenng when your reefs were dying and reef sharks were gone. You did not ask for any help that I can reach or read. Everybody here is trying to do the same thing.
        Protect humans and sharks at the same time. Nobody wans any loss of life from any of the species.
        Dealing with politicians is alway hard and difficult. There is always money and power involved. Actually if you read all the posts without prejeduce, you will easily read that we all want and need the same thing.
        The reserve may went wrong because of many reasons. That is a mistake. But if you kill the sharks, that is another mistake. There will be 2 mistakes and still no correct answer to the problem. We at least try to stop the second mistake from happening.
        Please try to offer other solutions other than killing and let us try to help you as best as we can. What do you need from us ?

        • FOLIO

          Yes we asked in so many direction for help, but the information stayed local, never reached out. We had 2 IFREMER (Ver independant French Institut) studies that heard us & warned our local leaders about the risk of what would happened. We’ve knockned at all local doors w’ve found, & you know, if someone doesn’t want somthing to get out of an island… I don’t even know on what page I am. I was sad & googling to see if a media or scientits out of France have something on the truth of my island. I found that, & I read some comments where people treated surfers who don’t want to be attacked are cowards & things like that. I could not stand becoze my heart is injured every time I see that. I feel depressed & have to talk to someone to explain what really happens. Coze ecxept a small group of people who lived in this sea & who knows… Nobody knows… I don’t want to kill sharks coze I don’t know how to do that. & you know what ? Tiger shark is one of my favorite animal because he’s soooo beautiful. I’ve sweam with reef sharks many times, i have even got the chance to be at 100 meters from a 4 meters female bull shark when I was surfing one day. I was afraid & curious, like her I guess… But everything has changed, I don’t understand their behaviers anymore, I would like the next generations to live their lifes in this sea… And I don’t know what to do. Emotions are so hard to deal with…. Thanks for your reply, sincerely. Tonight at home, it’s 3:10 am & I could not find sleep. I’m now tired. Things with no solutions become so quick an obsession you know. Tomorow evening after my job, I will go to this page, learn about this page & its goals & talk to you again. In reunion, we just want that the fact mediatickly shown worldwide that then bullsharks attacks here are not because of surfing, but due to many factors of powerfull people playing with nature & saying it’s normal. I can read on the comment below that recreational activities have some risks. The risk we knew & we delt with to stay alive has suddenly changed 2 years ago. Now, it’s everywhere at anytime… We want people to know that the frequent presence (4 to 5 a day) at sometimes 10 meters from the shore in a reef system is abnormal & that surfers & kayakist are victims & not the responsibles. They just want all the the people to be able to get back to our beaches & our magnificient wave with the same risk as before these last 5 years. Thank yu & sorry if my english is bad. I’m french yu know…

          • Angel

            Folio,
            Please read the very last 2 posts on effects of media and society in such tragedies.
            These sharks were there for decades.It is not news to you. I doubt if a protected area can cause the sharks to start attacking people. Or the drainage that flows into that area can be the reason. If the islands reefs are gone along with the reef sharks, can this be causing the larger sharks come to shore ? I don’t know. It may be a factor. Or it might have nothing to do with it.
            Shark attacks happen in Reunion for decades. They are not on ISAF list except the recent ones. Why ? Please think about it.
            I personally saw great numbers of Tigers and Bulls in many many dives around the islands, and some of them are full size big sharks. But in just a few years , because of a protected area, their numbers can not dramatically increase to a point where you can not swim anymore.They are slow producing animals. That is why their numbers are declining all around the world. So I doubt, general blames of the marine protected area for the attacks are the reality.
            This may just be a part of a natural cycle of events. Sometimes there are reasons we can not understand. It may be because of the currents changing directions, water temparature changes, etc. This may also explain the damage to the reefs. Or some other phonemona that we may never now.
            What I am saying is blaming the protected area or killing the sharks will only make things worse. Sometimes the attacks incerase for no reason that we can understand. It happened in Egypt and now it is happening in West Australia. Everybody tried to understand it but it is not more than just good and valid theories.
            Sometimes like in Egypt the attacks stop by itself. There may be a interaction free time for years. but all of these things does not change the fact that we actually do not know what went wrong. Maybe Reunion case is similar. I do not know.
            Please try to stay calm and be patient. I hope time will help you recover from your wounds.

        • FOLIO

          FOR ANGEL: I & we as surfers, simple fishermen, kayakists never blamed the marine reserve… We always wanted it coz it was urgent to do something for the reefs. At the time, there was some fishers fishing protected species, & for all the coasts (West & south), there never have shark attacks during a century in those parts that are unsafe today!!!! I’m here & I have better information than you who are not here. The beginning of the reserve was very bizarre. We wanted fishing regulation & controls to avoid species like reef shark to be killed illegally & avoid a catastrophy. We also wanted a fishing regulation for the fishing industry in ocean all around far from the island. We wanted regulation of tourism & people at the beach with strict rules for the reef to beeing scratched by feet of people every day. We also wanted rules for surfer. We wanted, more than that: regulation to make illegal to reject non treated used dirty water in the sea. We wanted scientific studies for shark attack risk, & also for the huge fish farm in the west to know the impact on environnement. The only place in south where attack has been is a place where massive rejection of dirty water with blood from cattle culture were. We know these places like our pocket so much that we have given nicknames to the heads of coral in the water at every beach, every surf spot. THE RESULT: An institute in charge of tourism in reunion payed the people in charge of the reserve & influenced the gestion. At first, they wanted surfing to be illegal in the whole island & no regulation for industrial fishing & people at the beach !!! Maaaaad !!! then, they sayed surfers are nuisance for coral reef. We won this fight… UNDERSTAND THIS THING: surfing in reunion doesn’t give a lot of money for tourism. But the beaches… The beaches… All the communication are on that to try to make other people than french to come to reunion… Because next to us, Mauritius works on that & they manage to make a lot of money, employement, etc… The poor fishermen & the divers fishing legaly taking at least 10 little fish a week were declared illegal !!! Overfishing far away for these same persons involved with a lot of money as reward is not a crime. And I can assure you that they fish sharks… The east coast of reunion for a century has witnessed the majority of sharks attacks on reunion island for a century. I EXPLAIN you the configuration of the island: the west & south: lagoon, crystal clear water, reefs. The East: brown water due to rivers & rain almost every day, not a snigle head of coral. I GOT INFO FOR THE FACTS YOU’RE TELLING ME ALL OVER THE WORLD. I do not pretend to understand them coze I don’t have all the infos. You must be there or an independant scientist to know all the facts. REUNION HAS A VERY RARE CONFIGURATION DUE TO THE SHAPE OF THE BOTTOM OCEAN SURROUDING IT. It’s very steep & can explain access of some species to the reef… The studies we demanded were made but no one heard about it till now. None of reunion people in the sea. The results of these 2 studies is that the risk of bullshark & tiger shark attack will dramatically increase for surfers, kayakists but even bathers if forbid a regulated normal fishing predation that was there for thousands of years, letting overfishing far from the shore let go. This will be the same more than that, rejections of dirty waters are not regulated. & DO YOU KNOW WHAT’S FUNNY IN THIS ? THE SAME PERSON RESPONSIBLE RECEIVING THIS STUDIES HAVE FINANCIAL INTERESTS IN FISHING INDUSTRY, HAS THE RESPONSABILITY OF THE GESTION OF THE MARINE RESERVE, IS IN CHARGE OF A COMMUNICATION ORGANISM FOR TOURISM IN REUNION & IS THE OWNER OF SEVERAL STATION TREATING WATER FROM TOWN REJECTING DIRTY WATER FOR YEARS IN WATER. The decision has been taken. Fishing in the reserve is forbidden. No restrictions on rejecting dirty waters, the change of the subventions for scientists studying the shark attack risk, no restriction for over fishing industry out of the marine reserve, so little restriction to prevent the tourists & people to walk on it !!!!!!!!!!! Lagoon are all like this in reunion: coral barreer is at least at 100 meters from the shore, not more, with wide passes in it coze the island is very young. At many beaches, there’s no lagoon: coral reef but no coral bareer. These beaches were crowded before. But I can ensure you it is empty every day now. All economic activity around are dying in an island were there is 45% of unemployement!!! Surf schools are dead. Diving clubs are dying coze people are affraid to come. The lagoon is still crowded. St Leu is one of the longest & funniest worldclass reef wave for surfing in this planet. There several worldclass waves. They’re all empty! Specialized people are payed to survey shark risks in many beaches. Every day they see bull sharks coming less than 50 meters from the shore. I know them personally. If they publicly say what they see, they are fired !!!! 42 times before attack at “3 bassins”, bullsharks passed beyond less than 50 meters from the shore & noone knew about it. 2011 bodyboard World champion amaury lavherne local from reunion also good apneist, diver & fisher exposed that to local media to protect these frightened people surveying sharks. Media says that attack on surfers are due to comfusion from the sharks. Not these past 5 years…. Attacks & sharks spotting close to the shore began in the west part. The 2 past years arte mad !!! Divers had been charged so many times last past 5 years. People in charge of responsibility did not considers what they have witnessed & their warnings. surfers now being attacked any hour, any condition of water on spots crowded since the 80’s where there never was a single problem. Scientists payed by the responsibles of this reserve sayed that’s because the number of surefers increased. I surferd till 17 years & my uncle for more than 40 years in thes waters. In reunion the surfing boom was in the beginning of the 80’s !!!!! MORE THAN THAT: 1 WEEK AGO: a uge fish farm in the west: a scientific report was abandonned that showed that escaped fish from this farm killed species inside the lagoon because they are new predators that was never here. The scientist reported than increasily, bull sharks, about a thousand were around this farm when the fishes was given food. they have frenesy & very agressive behaviors & it was a danger for a diver to make a study. Very poluted water in there. It’s 3 km from the 1st attack 2 years ago. The responsible of the reserve pay huge money (help from state) to protect the farms from sharks. YESTERDAY, because of the media 1 week ago, they closed the farm saying that because of the media people investing in it won’t pay more & they loose to much money. Because of the surfers, because of the sharks. They have total opacity on the money they earn from this activity, & money spend in terms of scientific study. DO YOU KNOW, THAT DURING ALL THE 2 YEARS ATTACKS, BULL SHARKS BEAT 3 & 3 TIMES SURFERS IN MORE THAN 3 MINUTES FIGHT WITH THE MEN DURING THE ATTACK. ONE OF THEM WAS EATEN BY 3 or 4 SHARKS AT LESS THAN 10 METERS FROM THE SHORE IN THE MOST CROWDED BEACH ON THE ISLAND IN 50 CENTIMETERS OF DEPTH. DO YOU KNOW THAT A STUDY SHOWS THAT LESS & LESS TURTLE ARE EATEN BY THE SHARKS AS THERE IS A TURTLE FARM PRODUCING HUGE NUMBERS OF TURTLE IN THE WATER. DO YOU KNOW THAT IN ADDITION TO THIS, MANY TURLTLES WAS IN THE WATER DURING 2 OF THESE ATTACKS AND THAT NONE OF THEM WERE EATEN BY THE SHARKS THESE DAYS… THEY HAVE A LOT OF FOOD, TURTLES TO EAT & THEY EAT SURFERS…. shark feeding in south africa is reponsible also because these are the same sharks that come to reunion island. DID YOU KNOW THAT THE ATTACKS ALWAYS FOLLOWED THE NEXT SURF SPOT OPENED NEXT TO THE CLOSED ONE AFTER THE ATTACK. I KNOW PERSONNALY ONE OF THE PEOPLE WORKING FOR THE SEA SAFETY STUDYING THE SHARK PROBLEM & HE ENSURED ME THAT ALL PEOPLE WORKING ON IT KNOW NOW THAT THE LAST 2 YEARS ATTACKS ARE CASES OF PREDATION OF SURFERS, NOT MISTAKES FROM THE SHARK & THAT THERE IS A GREAT DANGER FOR PEOPLE BATHING AT SEA EVEN IN THE SMALLS LAGOON & IF HE TELLS THAT ON TV HE WOULD HAD GREAT TROUBLES ?????? WE WANTER TO BE KILLED THE SHARK THAT KILLED MATHIEU SCHILLER BECAUSE HE STAYED 72 HOURS ON THE SPOT TO RESTITUTE THE REST OF THE BODY IN IT TO HIS MOTHER & SISTER. IT WAS FORBIDEN BECAUSE IT’S NOT GOOD TO KILL A SHARK !!!!!!!!! Nothing for the mother, but protection to the predators. WE WANTED THE SHARKS THAT STAYED AFTER THE ATTACK ON THE SAME SPOT TO BE KILLED COZE THEY BEGUN TO LIKE HUMAN FLESH IN ORDER TO STOP THIS ONE TO KILL AGAIN !!!! NOT POSSIBLE !!!!! WE WANT THE SHARKS COMING IN THE LAGOON AT 1 METER FROM THE SHORE & IN THE RIVERS, BELIEVE ME OR NOT, TO BE KILLED! NOT POSSIBLE! WE WANT TO RESTORE A REGULATED SANE PREDATION TO ANIMALS IN THE RESERVE INCLUDING BULL SHARK WHICH IS NOT A PROTECTED SPECY & NOT A DECLINING SPECY ESPECIALLY IN REUNION ISLAND!!! WE NEVER TALKED ABOUT SHARK EXTERMINATION !!!!! THE STUDY OF 20 OF THEM TO SEE IF THERE IS CIGUATERRA TOXIN IS A NECESSITY. ONE MORE THING SEA SHEPHERD WHO MADE SUCH NOISE IN REUNION NEVER EXISTED BEFORE IN REUNION WHILE THEY HAVE BEEN CONTACTED YEARS & YEARS AGO TO PROTECT THE REEF SHARK. THE DAY MY FRIEND DIED, THEY CAME, MAKE A MEDIATIC CAMPAIGN WHERE YOU COULD READ THE SHARK HAS TAKEN THE SURFER AS A A–HOLE & THEY SHARE THE PAIN OF FRIENDS 1 FAMILY OF THIS VISTIM. NOW THEY HAVE MONEY FROM STATE & A BUREAU IN REUNION!!!!!! THEY INFLUENCED WHAT HAS BEEN SAID SO MUCH THAT PEOPLE ARE CONVINCED REUNION SURFERS WANT TO EXTERMINATE SHARK & FISHERS ARE ALSO A–H— !!!! AND THESE ARE NOT MY WORDS, BUT THEIRS!!!! I’M SAYING THAT WE DESAGREE ON HOW THE RESERVE IS MANAGED & ON PSEUDO SCIENTIFIC STUDIES IN REUNION ISLAND! WE WANT TO FISH AGAIN NORMALLY IN THE SEA THAT FEEDED US MANY CENTURIES, WE WANT TO BE PROTECTED IN OUR RESERVE NO TO BE FOOD FOR ABNORMAL BULL SHARK PRESENCE THAT NEVER EXISTED WHERE ATTACKS TOOK PLACES LAST 2 YEARS. NO ONE HAS NEVER COMPLAIGNED ABOUT THE OTHER ATTACKS FOR THE LAST CENTURY COZE IT WAS A NORMAL THING & IT IS A PART OF THE RISK. NOW, THINGS ARE ABNORMAL & CREATED BY FEW MEN BAD BEHAVIOUR !!! DO YOU THINK THAT KILLING ONE SHARK TO RESTITUTE THE REST OF THE BODY TO THE FAMILY IS A CRIME ??? DO YOU THING THAT WE SHOULD WAIT & SEE WHILE THERE IS A THREAT ON BATHERS; I TOLD YOU ABOUT THE SPECIFIC CASE IN BRAZIL. IT IS NEARLY THE SAME; YOU TALK ABOUT EGYPT & BELIEVE REUNION IS THE SAME OF THE ISLAND YOU VISITED ??? WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT REUNION ????? BEEN HERE BEFORE ??? COME & SEE BY YOURSELF THE DISASTER & YOU’LL TELL ME YOUR LESSONS AFTER THAT… WE WANT OVERFISHING TO BE STOPPED, AND SMALL FISHING BACK, WE WANT CLEAR WATER, WE WANT REAL SCIENTIFIC STUDIES, NO LOBBYING ABOVE THEM !!!! OUR MAIN GOAL IS NOT TO KILL THE SHARKS, WE WANT THE FACTORS CREATING THE ABNORMAL ATTACKS TO STOP, THE NORMAL ONE, WE ACCEPT ACCIDENTS YOU KNOW. IF YOUR SON, DAUGHTER WERE AT THIS BEACH, KNOWING KNOW A MORE ON WHAT’S HAPPENING, & IF YOU HAVE THE CHOICE BETWEEN YOUR CHILD’S LIFE & THE SHARK LIFE: WHICH ONE WOULD YOU LET TO BE KILLED ????? IF YOU REALLY SHARE MY PAIN, IMAGINE YOUR CHILD FACING THIS THREAT & THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE LESSONS YOU GIVE EVERY TIME YOU TALK… NATURE IS NOT A SHOW !!!!! THIS IS A RUDE COMPETITION, DON’T FORGET THAT WE ARE IN IT. NOT SPECTATORS & THAT SOMETIMES, TO PROTECT OUR SELFES, TO EAT, TO SURVIVE, WE MUST DE THINGS THAT WE DON’T LIKE TO DO !!!!!! DO YOU UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT MORE OUR PROBLEM AND WHAT WE WANT NOW ?????

          • FOLIO

            YOU TOLD ME MANY FACTORS YOU DON’T KNOW ABOUT; I’TOLD YOU THE FACTORS WHICH ARE NOT ONLY THEORIES THAT I KNOW !!!! I KNOW PEOPLE STUDYING THE PROBLEM PERSONNALY, I KNOW MOST OF THE VICTIMS, FOR 17 YEARS I’VE BEEN IN EVERY SPOTS OF THE ISLAND, BEEN IN THESE WATER OFTEN 8 HOURS PER DAY… BULL SHARKS WERE SO RARELY IN THESE SURE SITES THAT THE POPULATION ALWAYS REMEMBER WHEN SOMEONE COULD SEE ONE !!! NOW THERE ARE SO OFTEN BULLSHARKS IN THESE PARTS OF THE ISLAND THAT THE MOST POPULAR BEACHES ARE EMPTY !!! ANYBODY WHO KNOW NOTHING ABOUT REUNION CAN SAY IT IS THE TERRITORY OF THIS SHARK; BUT WE KNOW IT’S FALSE, MAYBE CHANGES OF TEMPERATURE COULD PLAY A ROLE, BUT ALL THE OTHER CAUSES ARE THE ONES I MENTIONNED; BAD MEN BRING THESE SHARKS HERE, THEY HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT. IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A SAFE GARDEN. IT WAS OURS !!!! NOW SOMEONE KNOWING NOTHING ABOUT US & THE ISLAND WOULD SAY MEN BRING IT HERE SO LET IT HERE KILL YOU & GO AWAY ???? IT IS STUPID TO GO IN THE JUNGLE & SAY BECAUSE THE LION KILLS A MAN, KILL HIM OR KILL THEM ALL; BUT IF SOMEONE BRING THE LION TO YOUR HOME, WHO’S TERRITORY IS IT? WOULD YOU LET THE LION KILL YOU OR WOULD YOU KILL HIM ????? REALLY ??? HONEST RESPONSE TO MY ANSWER PLEASE !!!!!! THIS TERRITORY YOU TALK ABOUT AS BULLSHARK ALWAYS THERE IS A FALSE IDEA !!!!! MEN HAS ALWAYS OCCUPIED THEM AND IT’S HIS RIGHT !!!! COEXISTING WITH THE SHARKS BEFORE THESE EVENTS WERE NO PROBLEM !!! THRUST ME !!!! BUT KNOW WOULD I & THE NEXT GENERATION WOULD PAY THE PRICE FOR THAT, WITH THE IMPOSSIBILITY TO PUT A FOOT IN THEIR WATER!!!!! IF YOU THING THAT NATURE GOES WITHOUT YOU AND THAT MAN IS NOT SUPPOSED TO REACT WITH IT, SO DON’T EAT COZE IT’S A KILL, EVEN FOR THE PLANTS, DON’T TRAVEL, BECOZE YOU’RE IN THE AIR & ON THE WATER & IT’S NOT YOUR ELEMENT, DON’T DIVE, DON’T SWIM BECAUSE IT’S NOT YOUR HOME, DO BUILT A HOUSE AS A SHELTER BECAUSE STONE IS A PART OF NATURE, DON’T TOUCH ANITHING !!!!! WE’RE NOT KILLERS OR WE ARE ALL KILLERS BECAUSE WE’RE PREDATORS, WE’RE HUMAN, WE MUST SURVIVE & THERE’S ALWAYS A PRICE FOR THAT AS FOR EVERITHING; WE’RE NOT GOD BECAUSE WE GOT SCIENCE, KNOWLEDGES & TECHNOLOGY, WE CANNOT CONTROL EVERY LIFE FORM, DECIDE WETHER WE MUST TOUCH THEM OR NOT, WE’RE NOT JUDGES BECAUSE NOTHING HAS CHOSEN US TO DO THAT…. PEOPLE ONLY OFTNE FORGET WHAT THEY ARE: ANIMALS; THAT’S ALL. NOTHING MORE, NOTHING LESS. EVERYBODY HAS THE RIGHT TO DEFEND HIS TERRITORY BECAUSE IT’S HIS LIFE DEPENDING ON IT. MY POINT OF VIEW IS THE VIEW OF THE VICTIM, I WAS THERE. I WANTED INFORMATION & I WANTED PEOPLE TO KNOW THE FACTS, ONLY THE FACTS. ALL I RECEIVED IS YOUR LESSONS !!!!! I’M TRYING AGAIN TO UNDERSTAND YOU; BUT AS YOU SAID, YOU’RE SHARING THE PAIN. HOW NAIVE COULD YOU THING THAT YOU CAN SHARE THAT !!!!! I HAVE A GREAT RESPECT FOR YOUR POINT OF VIEW BECAUSE IT HELPS MANY TIMES TO SAVE SPECIES, AND IT SAVES LIFE OF MEN DEPENDING ON IT; YOU DON’T SHARE MY PAIN; DON’T TELL ME THAT EXEPT IF YOU KNOW FRIENDS OF FAMILY DEAD IN THIS KIND OF CONTEXT THAT I EXPLAINED TO YOU!!!!! YOU DON’T HAVE THIS POWER LIKE I DON’T HAVE POWER TO UNDERSTAND VICTIMS OF A PLANE CRASH BECOZE I DID NOT EXPERIENCED IT MYSELF; SOMETIMES YOU KNOW YOU’RE RIGHT TRYING TO AVOID PEOPLE KILLING SHARKS; IT’S TRUE FOR A LOT OF TIMES. I PUTTED MYSELF IN QUESTIONS SO MANY TIMES BEFORE SUPPORTING THE KILL OF A FEW SHARKS; TAKING EVERITHING I KNOW INTO CONSIDERATION, FEARING THE BAD DECISION. BUT WHAT ABOUT YOU; I’VE HEARD THAT SO MANY TIMES IN REUNION ISLAND: KILL A SHARK IS NOT GOOD; WE DON’T KNOW ENOUGH THINGS, MAYBE IT WILL STOP BY ITSELF, WE HAVE TO STUDY MORE, BLA BLA BLA !!!! IT’S ALWAYS THE SAME THINGS SAID THAT LEAD US TO NON ACTION & SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE CRISIS, THIS LED TO 2 MORE PEOPLE DEAD WHILE WE SAID, DO THIS, WE KNOW ABOUT, FORBID SURF IN THIS SPOT, PEOPLE MUST KNOW SHARK ARE GONNA TRY TO EAT ANOTHER SURFERS ON THE NEXT SPOT, WE HAVE EXPERIENCE & WE’RE SURE ABOUT THAT; LOT OF SURFERS DON’T KNOW, PROTECT THEM. PEOPLE WHO HAD THE SAME BLA LIKE YOU SAID: WE HAVE NO PROVE, IT’S JUST A THEORY, THERE’S ALWAYS BEEN SHARK IN THE SEA, THAT’S THE WORLD & BLA BLA BLA… OUR 3 LAST PREDICTION WERE TRUTH, IT HAPPENED EXACTLY WHAT WE TOLD THEM…. 1st ATTACK WILL BE AT “3 BASSINS”, IF THE SPOT IS LEAVED EMPTY, THE NEXT IS SAINT LEU, THERE WILL BE AN ATTACK & IF IT’S LEAVED EMPTY, THEN THE NEXT IS “L’ETAND SALE”. THEY DID NOT LISTEN TO US;;; WHAT HAPPENED ? ONE MONTH AFTER WE WARNED THEM: 1st ATTACK “3 BASSINS”, ONE DEAD. COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. MAYBE 2 WEEK LATER: 2nd ATTACK: SAINT LEU: 1 MAN WITH 1 LEG, 1 ARM & 1 PIECE OF FLESH GONE IN THE SHARK !!!! COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED… 3 DAYS AFTER: ATTACKED AVOIDED JUST AT TIME COZE SHARK SEEN BY SOMEONE SPEEDING & HEADING TOWARD A SURFER;;; & A CHARGE ON ONE OF THEM…… NOTHING SINCE 2 YEARS HAVE BEEN DONE EXEPT THAT ANSWERS THAT YOU GIVE ME TODAY !!!!! THANKS FOR THE VERY VITAL INFORMATION & HELPFUL SUGGESTION YOU GAVE TO ME !!!!!!

          • Angel

            Folio,
            Such a long post with lots of things to cover.
            You explained a lot of things that we are not aware of in detail.
            Thank you for taking such a time and effort to explain.
            I have been to Reunion 3 times. Last time was a diving trip in 2007. We stayed over a big diving boat and did almost 40 dives in 12 days around all over the place. Seen a lot of big sharks. I know the special conditions of your island, how steep it comes from the buttom to the surrounding reef. At that location you had and will always have sharks because of the buttom geography.
            There was no fish farm that we noticed then. Fish farms in preditor filled waters should be far away from the shore and should be located to places that the currents are coming from the shore going to open water. If you have a fish farm, big in construction, close to the shore and currents to land, that is an invitation to sharks that normally lives in deeper waters. This itself may be the sole reason of the recent 2 years attacks. I am not sure how they studied the effects but an independent, non-local study can clear all of the doubts if the farm is the the only reason. Blood from the butchery was there already if I remeber correctly. It attracts sharks directly, you don’t need a study for it. We agreed on the fact that marine reserve is not the reason of the attacks, I think.The families, friends like you and the rest of the people in the island is effected deeply for sure. I am sorry for you friends that you lost in the past 2 years. Tragedy always hits hard no matter how we concive it. What is happenning there is a tragedy. If you think killing a few hundred sharks will solve the problem, I will come and help you do it. But I doubt it will solve anything. We need to figure out what is causing this. Why are the sharks so close to shore and why are they showing preditory reactions to humans (considering your info is true). Unless you konw why, killing the sharks is no good becasue new sharks will replace them instanly from deeper waters, just in a few days. As you explained how steep your reef comes to surface. Outside of the reef is full of big sharks, ask the divers they will tell you. And they come and charge divers even if you are not close to them. That is what they did to us during the dives. They are not shy at all. So first we need to figure out why these big sharks are inside the reef, why are they close to shore.
            Beileve me it is not only to attack humans.
            Do you think there are other reasons then the fish farm and the turtle farm ?

          • Angel

            Folio,
            You keep writing before i even have a chance to write you back about what I think. This is an answer to your second post. That one below is the answer for your post above. I respect your point of view. We all lost loved ones doing what we like to do together. I did not personally witness a fatal shark attack but I lost very close frinds during diving accidents. One even died in my arms and I could not save him. Not becasue he was a bad diver. He was an excellent diver and my buddy for years.It was just an accident. Sometimes things go wrong. And we can not influence them.
            Ocean was nver our territory and it will never be. Surfing safely there in that spot does not mean that it is forever. As you see things change and we realise that it is actually their territory and they just let us use it for a period of time. If we want to use it again, first we need to learn to live with the fact that we need their permission. Otherwise it is suicide.
            Of course we are not God, we may have all the technology to kill them but should we do it. The end result may be far worse than what we have as tragedy today. The world is full of such examples of mother nature makes things right. We need to avoid human shark interactions as much as we possibly can. But there will still be a lot of incidents no matter what we do. In the light of the events that you have been tellling, this is not a territory problem. It just does not matter who’s territory it is as long as people and sharks are dying. This is not a war. I can read how frustrated you are. you have a rgiht to be in that mind set and feelings. Beileve me when I say I can feel your emotions. And it is ok with me to see how angry you are. But anger does not solve your problems. I am jsu trying to understand and help you if I can. I suggest you to try to do the same. We all want the same things. A place where it is safe for humans and animals.

          • FOLIO

            Ooooh my god ! Thank you !!!! Now I know that you know what you are talking about !!!! Really, really, you understand the configuration & did not know all the facts that was blocked in here. the real size of the farm is under water, well hidden from the public. I don’t know the job you’re doing, but I can see you know a lot of things. Farm closed & with it, the opportunity to prove their responsability in the crisis. I & my association tried to reveal the danger of its farm to the public eyes. And the only real study they had, they kept with them !!! THERE IS A DEBATE ON THE ROLE OF THIS FARM IN THE LOCAL MEDIA; IF ONLY YOU KNEW THAT YOUR COMMENT IF YOU ARE A SPECIALIST OF SHARKS CAN DO TO REUNION ISLAND !!!!! IT WOULD BE ENORMOUS !!!!! THE FARM THAT CLOSED YESTERDAY IS HUGE & AT ONLY 3 Km FROM THE MOST POPULATED BEACHES IN REUNION ISLAND !!!!!! NO STUDIES HAS BEEN DONE AS FAR AS WE KNOW TO DETERMINE IF THE FARM CREATE A RISK OR NOT TO ECOLOGY OR POPULATION !!!! IF YOU ARE A SCIENTIST OR A SHARK SPECIALIST, WHAT YOU SAY MUST BE KNOWN OFFICIALLY HERE TO SAVE PEOPLES & SHARKS LIFES !!!!!!! BUT CAUTION THERE’S SO MUCH LOBYYING & POWER HERE COULD TRY TO DESTROY YOUR CREDIBILITY TO MAKE NON-SURFERS-SWIMMERS-KAYAKISTS-DIVERS ETC… TO BELIEVE THAT’S NOT THE FAULT OF THE FARM !!!!! I BELIEVED FARM WAS A CAUSE WITH THE ELEMENTS I HAD, BUT WHAT YOU SAYS IS THE MOST KNOWLEDGED COMMENT I HAVE READ !!!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH & SORY IF I SEEM AGRESSIVE SOMETIMES, SITUATION HERE AT REUNION IS PUTTING ME ON MY NERVES; WE MUST AS REUNION PEOPLE, HAVE THE INFORMATION YOU DELIVERED TO ME !!!! OH MY GOD !!! YOUR COMMENT IS SUCH A RELIEF !!!! THANKS AGAIN & I’LL CONTINIUE TO TCHAT WITH YOU !!!! WE NEED YOUR HELP ! THANKS ANGEL ! GOD BLESS YOU

          • FOLIO

            the last post I wrote, was a response of your first response to me. This 2nd is for the 2nd answer you wrote. I disagree with yu now on one thing only. This is a problem of territory for me because we in these safe spots have spotted only reef shark before, no bullshark. So for me, bullshark is not at his home. this was the home of men & reef shark & many species… But once again, sorry if you feel my anger. It was not my goal. But I can’t hide my anger… It’s so difficult. Many years ago, a friend of mine loosed his leg in a shark attack. It was form me & him an unfortunate accident because he was in a zone known for the risk of shark attack. He took his precaution &… You know, it happens. Even if he were killed, I would think, no responsibles, many surfers get here, get no problem, the change to be attacked is so small, that is an accident. But what happened last 2 years are not accidents because some people knew & have the reports, the scientists warning, & keep it all secret. They knew people could be killed becoze of their activity & they let things happen in order to keep their big money. For me it’s a crime! a crime! I hate them, those people are the top predators, the one we must prosecute in order to keep them in jail for a long time. Once again: thank you!

          • FOLIO

            THERE MAY BE OTHER REASONS FOR BULLSHARK SO CLOSE TO THE SHORE & SO OFTEN; DUE TO THE SHARK CRISIS, AND THE PRESSURE FROM MY ASSOCIATION & OTHERS, MEDIA ALSO, A STUDY WAS MADE ABOUT THE COMPOSITION OF THE WATER & BEACHES CLOSED BECAUSE THERE WAS ERR;; I DON’T REMEMBER THE TERMS USED, THERE WAS STRANGE PRODUCTS IN THE WATER !!!! & I AGREE WITH YOU; BULLSHARKS DONT COME TO EAT SURFERS, THEY COME FOR A REASON WE DON’T KNOW ABOUT;;; BUT THEY EAT SURFERS OR TRY TO EAT;;; I THINK THE FARM CAN EXPLAIN MANY THINGS BUT ALL BECAUSE THE PROBLEM HAS SEVERAL CAUSES. I’LL SEARCH WHAT WAS FOUND IN THE WATER & RECONTACT YOU, THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO READ.

          • Angel

            Folio, I am glad to see that we started to communicate better. As I told you we all want the same thing. Safety for humans and sharks.
            People are capable of doing anything for money. They don’t care if nature, envoirement, habitat or people&animals are harmed, destroyed and killed during their process of making money. This is not only for Reunion but for everywhere in the world. This need to change but it will not happen over night. It is all about power and money.
            After the attacks and media attention from all over the world, a lot of new eyes are turned to Reunion. I think whatever is wrong there that results in these attacks were not planned but thought to be managable. Well as all of us can see it is out of control. It is not a coinsidance that they closed the fish farms just after the attacks got more attention than desired. I am sure there are many experts here that reads these lines that will help you. We need all the help. If only a fish farm is causing these terrible interaction to make more money, I think they should pay for it. We all need to make sure that this happens beacuse they need a lesson clear enough for others around the globe as well.If they new that it would attract the sharks and still build those farms just 3 kilometers away from the most popular beaches and surfing spots, they need to pay for it. Please keep in mind that, a company to build a fish farm need many licenses and permits before operating and these include envoiremental reports, underfarm studies, currents and directions, feeding studies etc. Aquaculture is going to be important in future nutrition of humanity. So it is a very important subject. They have many rules and regulations. First implementations were very close to shore in secluded coves to protect them from tides and bad weather and for economic reasons. But later all the regulations have changed about 10-12 years ago. Now you can not build them close to shore, you need outward currents, minimum depth of the buttom is much higher depending on the species famed in the pools. It all needs to be converted to off shore farms in the following years. From you case(if it is the real case) all of the world can take lessons and avoid such incidents.
            This kind of close to shore and popular areas aquaculture is very cummon in Med Sea, Italy, Greece, Turkey, France are doing quite a bit of it. The difference is Med Sea is almost a shark free zone, so it does not cause such incidents, mostly envoirmantal issues are the problems. But if you use the same kind of farming in a tropical place where preditory sharks are condance, it is an invitaion for them to come to shore and popular beaches. I am sure most of you in Reunion thought about this already. And closing the farm just after the fatal attacks makes things more questinoble.

      • Angel

        Please keep in mind that, they got the permits from Islands officials. So more people can well be involved in this practice and some can be in the governmental body. They can cover up everything. You need to be careful. I know that you are angry and with this mind set, you can make a lot of people angry. You need all the help you can get, so please act like a politician, play their game until you have valid evidence of a misuse of power or relationships that was not supposed to be in place. Being political is very important because they control the media. They already dirtied the surfers for the need to kill the sharks. So without having all the facts, you will not have a lot of friends in the envoiremental coummunity or ocean protector communities and groups. Like most of us here, reading the way this story is told to us, we were not your friends either. So you need a clean cut. Please be very smart and don’t trust anyone. I can tell you these by experience. When there is money or power involved, your best friend can turn his back on you. They will destroy your credibility to avoid attention to what you are saying. I suggest you to group and list the facts to an international organisation that is not French. They may be more objective and listen to you.
        Also please make sure that you understand that we do this conversation based on the fact that the fish farm caused this problem. If this is not a fact, it will just be a conspirecy theory. You need proof. A report, a warning, an internal memo etc.
        Good Luck.. you need a lot of it 🙂

        • FOLIO

          Thanks a lot !!!! God bless you !!! god bless you !!!! You’re right. Most people in reunion are not sea practicers. Even in my own family, people blame me because they don’t know & think that by having surfing for years like other few of them, about 2000 people who are a minority in my island. I made these sharks coming & getting agressive. It’s soooo painful to stand. so painful. No solutions was given since 5 years, since things became abnormal… there’s a huge campaign… They did not want any solutions we propose them !!! & solutions not arming nor protected species, nor people. Surfers never wanted sharks to be killed before. Never did I before. We begun to want it at the last attack of the 1st year of attacks. My nightmare is not being forced to not surf. Every single day, I think about thousaunds of innocent & unaware people bathing & swimming in these waters where there is an enormous risk for an attack on them… I always have in my mind this picture: the day of the last attack at St leu, I was swimming at a beach 7 or km south. At the same time that I knew what happened in st leu, I was bodysurfing tiny waves in 10 cm of depth. I got out immediately & the 1st thing I saw, was 50 meters away 4 to 5 year old innocent children playing with bodyboard in small shorebreak waves where there is 2 to 4 meters depth of water just behind. I alerted the mother of one of them, talking about st leu attack & bullsharks etc… the mother said that I m a surfer & that the man who was attacked, it was his fault because he surfed 300 meters long wave. For her, children were not surfing but playing 5 meters away from the shore. I have the picture of these children playing in the water almost 1 hour after the sunset with boards, with no one else worrying about that. I could see terror in the eyes of old surfers there watching that & unable to take out of the water 10 to 15 children all along this long beach of 1 km. Most people did not understand our behaviors. I was in the worst awake nightmare of my life this terrible day, & I know there were & there still are more than 1 thousand children doing that every week !!!! I got back home & cried into my girlfriends arm thinking about the victim & the people in danger at the beaches every day. The son of my sister (4 year old) looked at me & asked if it was because of the shark that I’m crying. My sister explained to him: no, he cries because you will never get to the beach here you cannot understand why now. Never go to the beach here even if a grown up brings you: refuse & call me. It is forbidden for you. He watched info & he said: But sharks dont exist & they dont eat little children like me!!! What have I done to be punished !!!! It’s not justified !!!! His last words: not justified were like knives into my heart. He maybe will be punished for years because of irresponsability of a few. What has he done ? He’s a child. My sister trust me when I say bath only in small lagoon at low tide where there is no passes. Trust me, it will save the lifes of your family one day. A lot of other people in reunion calls that the “shark psychosis” because they believe scientists they see in the media, they believe the mayors, the journalists & non governmental organization. Surfers proposed the solution of killing sharks to regulate their populations next to the shore & the mayor of st Leu, knowing before the attack that there was a great risk in St Leu took this decision in order to shock the government & the public opinion & make people react. He said 1 month before the attack that there a great risk of a comming attack soon in St Leu & he has no power to make something coze if he forbids surfing in his town, surfing world would know & treat him of taking surfers for reposible of the attacks. St leu developped coze of the surf & was a fishermen village first. There was at least no economy there, one only road & 100 people living there when I was a child. An old aunt lived there & sells a part of his ground to the shaper micky rat, the first at the time. there was 30 people in the water the week end on its wonderful lefthander of 300 to 350 meters long. We’re loosing so much… So much. I don’t show to my friends, my family, my girlfriend that some night like tonight, I’m crying bound in a town eating everything around, destroying forest, polluting water, eating shores…. It’s like I can’t escape the land where I’m born. Like the shelter became a prison where crimes are committed. The decision of killing shark was done becoze mayor don’t have this power & government authorized it. I saw yesterday that french army is involved. They act as strategic, they know the 20 sharks who will be killed are not for cguatera toxin in order to determine if people can eat them or not !!!! They are there in reunion, in civil suits to ensure that the kills of the sharks calm down the population. I know a person for the national marine who work with them. It’s mandatory & organized by the state itself. That’s not what we wanter at all. How can I talk private with you ? I’m a wisttle blower & I can ensure that it’s not comspiracy. I can make people locked in false scientific organization gives you secretly reports & witness coze the island is so small & I know them. I know shark surveyors that can witness that if they tell what they know to the public, they’re fired & frightened till 5 years. I know people working with french marine not part of it, responsable of sea safety & working hard till 4 years to resolve problems. They can say the same. I know the oldest diver in reunion island 90 years old, 50 years of diving here who can witness radical change of shark behaviors & increasing presence. I know the responsible of a fisher men association who can witness that he had since 6 years delivered detailed reports of abnormal behaviors of shark & increasing presence in the water to the authorities. No one knows where these reports are gone. My association PPR Prevention Requin Reunion has decided to support sharks killing but know it’s the worst solution but the only action they could do. Some are becoming mad becoze they’re obssessed now with sharks attacks. But the work that we’re proud is getting detailed report of any shark observation, not in order to kill them but to submit them to a scientific authority that can examin independently. Lot of people in this association are shark lovers & they feel thorned… Other readers talked to me on this site & become to understand the real stuff. Worst sharks are not in the water, but on the land, their names: corruption, unlimited power, dirty money, above the laws. I agree to have help. But we’re on the internet, I cannot trust you so quick. I must know the motivation of shark year, the financials of the scientists first… By the way, I have pictures of Aqua fish farm to show you & strangly, the link of their website, I can’t find anymore… Almost 5 pictures where you can see how close it is from the shore & the most popular beaches & surf spot. Strange that you do not have the informations. They don’t let it get out. I suppose that media has a pressure on them. I have also local news papers articles on it, some very well explained & detailed, some taking part for the farmers, some for the surfers, some neutral. But it’s in french. I don’t think I’m in safety anymore. Posts like this will not remain unknown for long in my island. I can ensure you, that here, lot of corruption, if they want you to become a garbage man, they can. It almost happeend to me while I was working as social worker & witnessed bad treatment & money used not for handicap but dedicaced to that. Lot, lot, lot of money. I was in formation to become pro, & many subventions for my school came from bizarre people. Director & some teachers were involved getiing o lot of money to close their eyes let it happen (60 000 euros a month !!!!) I got out of here to save me. Not all had this luck. Two friends of mine suffers chronic depression. another win at the tribunal but was fired after that… & a clean teacher helping us to fight that commited suicide…. now I have another work. I don’t want people to know my ID on this subject do not want to be in the media. I know too much the cost in such a small island with this kind of distribution of mony & power. I must search more info on you, & if yu can, give me info… Thanks

          • FOLIO

            GO TO THIS LINK BUT IT’S IN FRENCH IT’S ABOUT THE FISH FARM. I’VE READEN SO MAY ARTICLES, I THINK THIS ONE IS GOOD. FIND SOMEONE ABLE TO TRADUCE IT. SORRY I DID NOT MANAGED TO FIND INFORMATIONS IN ENGLISH: http://you.leparisien.fr/actu/2012/09/01/attaques-de-requins-a-la-reunion-revelations-sur-un-serpent-de-mer-sur-fond-de-subventions-16345.html

          • FOLIO

            ALSO WATCH THAT & MAKE IT TRADUCED, THE 1st GUY WITNESSED & WHO HELPED MATHIEU SCHILLER IS A PRO BODYBOARDER, PRO APNEIST, PRO FISHER, DIVER, PEOPLE LIKE ME HAVE PRACTICED SO MANY HOURS OF SURFING WITH HIM IN THESE WATER & HE SAVED MANY LIFES, MANY MANY TIMES; THIS GUYS HELPED ME TO RECOVER AFTER A WIPE OUT IN 10 FT WAVE, 50 CM OF WATER DEPTH OVER CORAL REEF WHEL I BROKE MY LEASHES, LOOSE MY BOARD, FINS, ETC; HE ALSO SAVED THE LIFE OF A FRIEND OF MINE; THAT IN THE SAME CONDITIONS ATTACKS HAPPENED; HE SAVED THE LIFE OF A FRIEND OF MINE. HE EARNS LITTLE MONEY FOR FISHING & IS NOT PAID TO SAVE PEOPLE BUT WOULD GAVE HIS LIFE FOR YOU IF HE COULD SAVE YOU; MEN LIKE HIM FIGHT AGAINST BAD POLITICIANS & THE INDUSTRY; NOT A FAIR FIGHT…. http://you.leparisien.fr/actu/2012/09/01/attaques-de-requins-a-la-reunion-revelations-sur-un-serpent-de-mer-sur-fond-de-subventions-16345.html

          • FOLIO

            I checked, yu can see it on google map (the farm) & maybe google earth. Tomorrow I’ll give yu the coorditnates. but you only see what’s on surface: the real whole thing under the surface is 7.2 hectares or 75000 meters2 or 807293 feet2. You can measure the distance from “boucan” town, one of the most crowded beach & surf spot where 2 attacks happened, both fatal & many bites on shalow reef…

          • FOLIO

            I know understood the whole circle. By reading this news paper article in english, you’ll understand that: the ones who created the firm are formed to stdy sharks but they can’t, they own a part of university here, they also own a part of the scientific programs who made the marine reserve, they also work in the regional administration & have subvention from the state, they also owner of a part of over fishing aroud island in indian ocean, they also want a pretext to sudy sharks. They also have most enterprises that release dirty water from town in the sea. They knew what was going to happen & their status is “shark specialists scientists”. So after an attack they say: we don’t know yet. We have to make a study on sharks for 7 years or more. What they wait is part of the population getting mad they can accuse !!! THE FISHERS, DIVERS, SURFERS in my association. They wait & wait… & booom!!! Surfers want to kill sharks coze nothing was done to protect population. Surfers felt in the trap so well !!! St Leu Mayor felt in the trap so well & it’s good for these people coze the mayor said that he want a real independent scientific study on over fishing & the farm !!! Get him out of the game. They have support from people in the media & the campaign has begun: nobody cant support those who want to kill sharks !!!! so help the scientists they are!!! Give them more money to make the water safe. And they’ll continue their well pyed activity !!! That was planned since the begenning!!! All well organized co parters with state, army, universities, scientists from the states, etccc. The problem for them is that a few good journalist reporter investigated very well & produced some startling evidences!!! But they are not afraid becoze it works. They close the farm, said that campaign from surfers had killed the farm & point that there will be again unumployememnt in the island of 45% unulployement. They won the battle for the support of the public opinion !!!! & they did it soooo well. I’m sure they have other plans if this thing or this thing is discovered… TO PUT ALL THESE PEOPLE TO JAIL, & REMAKE A GOOD RESERVE IF POSSIBLE, AND FIX THE BULLSHARK PROBLEM, IT WOULD TAKE AT LEAST 10 YEARS OF PROCEDURE OR MORE !!!!! HELP US TO ORGANIZE US AFTER I HAVE CHECKED THAT YOUR SCIENTISTS ARE IDEOLOGICALLY & FINANCIALLY INDEPENDANT; BECAUSE IF IT TAKES 20 YEARS TO FIX THE PROBLEM, SHARKS WILL BE FIRMLY & NATURALLY INSTALLED IN OUR RIVERMOUTHS & LAGOON FOR YEARS, & AT THAT STAGE, EVEN IF WHAT CAUSED THAT IS GONE, WE MAY NEVER SEE A CHILD PLAYING ON THE SHORE IN REUNION…….

          • Angel

            Translation from one of the links you provided :

            A BENEFIT TO THE FARM AND AQUACULTURE PROJECT CHARC?

            The accusation comes up regularly in the mouth surfers: if the marine reserve has long refused to acknowledge his responsibility and that of the farm in the increase of shark attacks, it is stories of big bucks.

            If the information may seem a bit simplistic, study a little further file makes it possible to realize that not everything is clear with the heart of the system, often the same beneficiaries of large subsidies. Huge subsidies, can you even say!

            RECORD OF THE AQUACULTURE FARM

            The farm is located in the bay of Saint-Paul was founded in 2007 thanks to large subsidies, especially European. In an article in the August 1 JIR, we say that it was a blessed time where “money glut”!

            Since then, business has declined and we talk about dying industry. Yet money continues to flow, even if it is in smaller quantities. The Arda annually receives nearly $ 2 million in grants, including 500,000 paid by the Region. With this money, she entered the capital of the SAS (simplified joint stock company) Sam in which it holds one third of the shares.

            The Arda is composed of two distinct areas: Research and development and research and development. This division essentially performs studies on techno-economic viability of marine productions in cages at the meeting and in the area. In fact, it is the SAS Sam operates in an economical seven cages installed in the bay of Saint-Paul. It produces croakers, fish disliked by Reunion. To get there, we feed the fish … with fish. In general, we know that to produce one kg of fish aquaculture farm must … 4 to 5 kg of fish killed for food use!

            Another element to take into account: the caged fish, and red drum is no exception, are victims of monogeneans which to treat with antibiotics! Antibiotics that we find in our plate and then make us resistant to the drug. Nothing will be spared!

            Turnover of Sam was 235,000 euros in 2010, which did not allow him to cover the expenses of the company, despite the fact that the maintenance costs of devices are supported by Arda. The Sam accumulated deficits anyway since its inception in 1999. In 2010, for example, the loss was 60,000 euros.

            To summarize, we have an association funded by Europe and the Region, Arda, which persists to develop marine aquaculture financing the tool and the chronic shortage of a private company, the Sat .. And that to produce a fish, croaker, disliked by Reunion, fed and cared for other fish to antibiotics! We would like to understand!

            Add to this that during an interview with Radio Festival, Pierre Bosc, the owner of the farm, acknowledged the presence of sharks to the cages, which also seemed to worry about the safety of its employees who regularly dive.

            Nothing surprising, since in an interview Sciences et Avenir in October 2011, Bernard Seret, “marine biologist, shark specialist at the Institute of Research for Development (IRD), and involved in program coordination CHARC “, stated:” There are all around cages stimuli (noise, vibration, …) that attract sharks. Statistically, there are always one or two who can get away from the farm and go on a tour of side of the reef where the bathers, some 7 kilometers away. Reunion is not an area full of fish and the coast there is much more to your teeth for a shark. So farm cages attract predators in the desert what became the Bay of Saint-Paul. however, this only serves to excite them, because they can not eat. ” Also asked about the distance between the cages of the farm and DCP areas where swimmers and surfers, he replied: these devices are located in “less than 10 km from the coast. For sharks, this distance is a sudden fin “…

            BUT THEN WHY CONTINUE TO GRANT THE AQUACULTURE FARM?

            Obviously, the reason lies elsewhere …

            At the center of everything, there is Pierre Bosc, director of Arda which we have already described it remained in being kept under infusion of government subsidies. And not for small amounts!

            It was also seen, Arda also owns 30% of Sam, the company that runs the farm and is still Pierre Bosc, who is the principal, even if it is not officially. For example, Pierre Bosc which meets on the farm interviews (see interview with Radio Festival cited above).

            Always within the Arda, there is another structure, Cap Run a technical support center for fishing Reunion whose actions are conducted in partnership with IFREMER (like yours …) and IRD ( re like yours …), the trade association, the State and the Region. Cape Run key grants 400,000 euros per year. According to the Agency for the Development of Meeting, “Prosper” is the first example of the efforts Cap Run: “This is a survey of the tuna resources in the French economic zone, changing techniques customary fishing. ”

            But one of the assumptions made by the experts (those little by IRD, is it a coincidence?) Is the fact that today more sharks near our coasts is overfishing on the high seas oceans emptying of food, the sharks could have no other option but to approach the coast of Réunion to come dig into the pantry represented by the marine reserve. Run Cap and carries out studies to optimize this deep sea fishing ..

            But the IRD is constantly trying to clear the farm on his own responsibility, even partial, in the presence of sharks in the area. At that point it becomes strangely suspicious. The IRD has even had to crack a statement in which he said: “We have no financial contract with ARDA.” An assertion supported by the fact that the IRD is another that “a research university and therefore public.” “Our lab has had interactions with scientists ARDA,” said Marc Soria, his manager, referring to the projects “POLARUN” or the future “Pole Regional Sea” expected to bring together all stakeholders in the marine Meeting one site. Oddly, Marc Soria forgets to mention that it is precisely Pierre Bosc, head of ARDA, who is tipped to take the lead of the famous “Pole Regional Sea” and could therefore find themselves at the head of the marine reserve …

            Thus we find that all these organizations generously subsidized by the state and the region already working on a daily basis. Last example: the technicians of the IRD are housed in the premises of the Port Arda Arda when working with Cap and Run …

            Placed end to end, these subsidies are millions and millions of dollars … No wonder therefore that the IRD `covers` Arda has a 30% share of Sam, the society which operates lombrine who don `t have been possible without funding from the state`.

            And one side was the IRD to protect sharks and the other was to IRD is working with ARDA can be accused of being one of the causes of the presence of sharks near our shores with his fish farm!

            And if the key position of the anti-shark IRD was there? And nothing there?

            Add for good mouth Marc Soria, the boss of the IRD, head honcho of the operation CHARC is théseux at the University of Reunion, which also funds the University Arda. And the IRD has received a grant of 700,000 euros for his study of the sharks of the meeting …

            The loop is again closed. We now understand better why this little world with equal force protects its “dish eaten” as we say in Creole …

            OTHER ASSOCIATIONS POINT AT THE FINGER

            In a long letter written by the father of a surfing champion who “runs” on the internet right now, some associations are singled out. We find jumble Ocean Life, Globice, ARDA, RUN SEA ARVAM or the SREPEN, GIP RNMR, IRD or the Marine Park.

            According to the author of this post, “motivation is of course research, but not any, they specialize in a type of productive research, the subsidies, Europe Region, Municipalities and some other … These are the only research they have businesses, and lead each year. ”

            “Strangely, the leaders of all these” initials “are the same people who spend an association or a corporation to another, chairman, vice chairman, member of advisory board member of the Scientific Committee, responsible employee of science. they swing the teacher, researcher and president of the ointment is all. ”

            And the author of the post to continue by giving some examples of these researchers found everywhere, in many associations:

            “Sonia Ribes-Beaudemoulin – Curator of the Natural History Museum of St Denis.
            – Member of the Board of Directors of the environmental group Ocean Life
            – President of the Scientific Committee of the GIP-RNMR (= group PUBLIC INTEREST Marine Reserve of the Meeting)
            – Member of the Advisory Committee GIP-RNMR
            – Representing the scientific community committee Reunion risk reduction sharks.

            Stéphane Ciccione – Director Kélonia
            – Vice-Pdt of the environmental group Globice
            – Member of the Scientific Committee of the GIP-RNMR
            – Representing the scientific community committee Reunion risk reduction sharks

            Bernadette ARDON –
            – President of the Board of Directors of the environmental group SREPEN
            – Member of the Advisory Committee GIP-RNMR
            – Member of Reunion risk reduction sharks
            – Representative of the environment within the National Park Meeting

            Florence trento – pathophysiology Plant Doctor – Fellow in Science VI. Teacher at IUFM
            – President of the Board of Directors of the environmental group Ocean Life
            – Member of the Advisory Committee GIP-RNMR
            – Member of Reunion risk reduction sharks

            Virginia BOUCAUD – Professor S.V.T
            – President of the environmental group Globice
            – Member of the Advisory Committee GIP-RNMR
            – Member of Reunion risk reduction sharks

            Roland TROADEC – Retired Professor, Associate Researcher at the Laboratory of Geology of the University of Reunion
            – Vice-Pdt of the Board of Directors of the environmental group Ocean Life
            – Vice-Chairman of the Scientific Committee of the GIP-RNMR
            – Member of the Advisory Committee GIP-RNMR

            Violaine Dulau – Doctor cetology
            – Hired (Chief Scientist) of the environmental group Globice
            – Member of the Scientific Committee of the GIP-RNMR.

            Pierre BOSC – Director General of the Association ARDA and leader in the SAS Sat privately manager of the farm funded by ARDA, the SAM is a loss since its creation 12 years ago, and not a little.

            Pascale CHABALET Researcher at IRD, Vice President of the Scientific Council of the marine reserve, Charc associated with the program. ”

            And this author who seems to know well his records concludes: “As our state representative and our elected officials are afraid to take responsibility, they gave a score of people care to say that the state must do to protect the population against the risk sharks. But as these people are concerned their functions financially everything related to research and marine biology, they attack through their associations or organizations taking the decision taken by the condition. (…) As they have not done much, but especially to avoid things that annoy, they lay reports and press releases at all costs. They forget previous reports ordered other scientists by our institutions, which they clearly showing that the solution to the attacks, and in the world, passed by fishing devices.

            Two points common to all these scientists:
            – They all live public money put into research.
            – They are all members of the Reunion risk reduction sharks. They are all in the institution by the government to ensure our safety in terms of risk against attacks. “

          • Angel

            Folio,
            This is now too much of a detail to be got into in general terms. I beilve you and many other people are on the right track. Overfishing around the island and fish farm seems to be somehow related to the attacks. All of these activities, including the managment of the Marine Reserve is being done by the same people. So same people are managing, The marine Reserve, University Research, NGO’s, Fishing Fleets and the Fish Farm. Also they are receiveing huge amounts of money from EU, Government and State, even Reunion tax payers. Millions of Euros a year.
            The people who needs to protect are actually are the same people who destroy. This is mis-allocation of power and resources. It clearly explains why bigger and more sharks are in shallow waters. Why nobody did anything to prevent it. Surfers are to blame…You may need an investigating journalist to help you from a French mainland newspaper. I doubt if there is anything more we can do here on this web site. We all learned about Reunion in detail. There is no point to force the readers keep reading more and more about it. I think if you have somethink valid, this site may publish it for you as long as it is about the sharks. Good luck, nice to know you and hope to meet you in person someday.

          • FOLIO

            Thanks a lot Angel. Now you’ve got informations, not disinformation from French media & responsibles. Thanks for having taking time to read my posts. & excuse me, I did not realized that I forced readers to read so many posts. I’m still in shock, twisted mind & felt You could here my SOS… Our association has decided to publish to warn all surfers, divers & swimmers to not practice anymore in all our coasts where risks exist. sadly… But we take our responsabilities. We will try your advice. I will talk with my association to make them understand that even in such a threat, kill some sharks to regain territory would make the problem worse. Spread this article in english to scientists & most widely to people interesting in sharks. I had a contact from one of the owners of shark year. I feel he wants to be informed & to help me. If you could publish this article in your pages, thank you. Happy to see that it still exists smart people in the sharks protectors community, that they respect life, not death of some people. Another info, another shark spotted closed from a beach yesterday approached an apneist at less than 2 meters close, very agressively. Thanks a lot & also hope to meet you in person one day. PS: you traduced it so quick !!! It seems to be good traduction…

  2. Rowan

    This is a travesty, when will people learn that killing sharks is NOT the answer! But unfortunately it needs a local groundswell of anti-shark-fishing to stop something like this, which I doubt will happen. In South Africa surfers appreciate the ocean and have a great respect for sharks – it is THEIR domain not ours, if you choose to conduct a RECREATIONAL activity in the sea you accept the inherent risks involved. It’s like saying “I want to do cross country running here, but wait there are lions! OK kill all the lions…” ridiculous.

  3. Fatal shark accidents are always very sad for the victims and their families. But let us keep in mind that dogs kill more people every year than sharks but are we going dog hunting because of it? To start those hunts for sharks is nothing but to show that politicians “do something” when in reality they cannot do anything. After killing a few sharks, people are supposed to feel safe but this is nothing more than politicians doing what they do best, make people believe that they are safer. Of course, killing sharks will not help anybody.

  4. bob

    Let Reunion tourism know what you think about this @

    https://www.facebook.com/ReunionTourisme

  5. There are no bigger COWARDS than those that kill sharks.  It is murder of a yet not-fully-understood creature and how it maintains a local ecosystem.  Killing sharks is a sign that complete ignorance is in charge of decisions and not mature, responsible, intelligent people.

    As much as 97% of pelagic sharks have been murdered in less than 25 years.  How is this measured as a good idea by ANY intelligent person?

    The act is shameful and should be punishable by harsh criminal laws… like the people authorizing this COWARDLY act onReunion Island.

  6. Lana

    lower the commercial shark catch quota and allow a few in the area to be killed. They say commercial shark fishing for fins is somewhere around 100 million shark killed yearly. yet less than a hundred might be killed to try and protect the beach users. Looking at it, it would appear everyone here supports the killing of sharks for soup, but not to protect beach goers. support the shark fin trade and kill all the sharks you want, but don’t kill any for human sake or tourism sake. Soon the ocean will belong to the sharks again, Humans stay the fuck out………

  7. Arnaud

    What a stupid decision ! I hope this does not get through, and if it does it would be a shame for this island and France !!

  8. OceanPatron

    Please share your views on this outrageous decision to Thierry Robert on his FB page; https://www.facebook.com/​thierry.robert.974
    Remember to send nice messages, maybe even some educational information for him to understand sharks more.

  9. Angel

    Lana, I am sorry but I just could not understand what you are trying to say.
    No one here is sopporting the killing of sharks for the shark fin soup. No one is saying, don’t protect the beach goers or kill people or sharks. I am confused.
    Are you suggesting that they should kill a few hundred sharks for Toursim ?

    • Lana

      I just feel at times we might feel we are protecting sharks and maybe more harm is done than good.
      Is a few hundred sharks worth a yes vote for shark protection at CITES? Yes
      Is a few hundred sharks worth the lowering of shark catch quotas in the area? Yes
      Seychells which is in the area had a beach closed for 6 months because of sharks.
      While thousands upon thousands of sharks are killed daily for fisherman’s wages in the area nothing is said. They threaten to kill a few hundred because someone was killed and millions of dollars lost and we have a fit.

  10. Leanne King, BSc

    I wrote a really polite, educated post imploring him to change his mond. I included all kinds of facts, reminding him that many people like me will NOT give our hard earned pennies to the tourism industry of countries that cull sharks.

    He deleted my comments and blocked me.

    Quelle surprise?!

  11. Angel

    I understood you point Lana actually the same applies for Leanne as well.
    The problem here is to deal with the politicians.
    French has one of the largest fishing fleets in Europe if not the largest.
    They have members totaled to millions if you add the families. So they have a huge vote potential.
    I had an argument for Blue Fin Tuna with one of their syndicate leaders in a general protection meeting held by European Union.
    He made it clear that, with the vote potential they have they have a big influence on the government. Without shame, without regrets and in front of maybe 200 people.
    So please do not get confused with kill a few hundred sharks and vote yes to Cites ideas. They will not listen to anyone unless it is a general public opinion that has more votes than the sea hunters.
    It is not you or me. We are trying to create that public opinion. That can be done like this in a forum, sharing or we can go to a protest, that is nice as well. The end result is to attract the general public.
    Without it, politicians will play with us forever like a mouse and a cat. Which they have been doing for years. But things are changing. You met me, I met you, We met with hundreds of opinions and people here, thousands read the posts. That is a good start. Maybe and hopefully in time, this site can be one of the reference sites for sharks and their protection. Than readers will be millions and we have a power, a social power.
    This is the beginning. I witnessed these happening in the past. Some did so well that even the governments want peace with them. And they have supporters. That is the main idea.
    I think we can all help this site to be the real reference point for sharks and shark protection.
    The subject has branched a bit, I am sorry but as a summary, even if you let a few hundred sharks go this will not stop… Who has the power ? Not you or me..
    Money, in the name of Tourism… Ignorant surfers are a good cover story… Public demanded the politicians did it.
    French have a huge Ocean territory all around the globe through a lot of islands like Reunion…90% of the tourists are French anyway..
    It is like a joke saying to protect the tourism..
    If they decleare something here for Reunion all the other French Ocean Terratories will be effected as well.
    They do not keep thoese remote islands for touristic reasons. They fish around thier waters limitless. Thousands of miles of unprotected ocean fishing ground is the main reason. And it is for French only..

    • FOLIO

      I’m French from reunion & yes 90% of reunion tourism is french. & yes, there is a huge industrial fishing activity all around the zone of reunion island but not close to its coasts. the leaders here made a wild reserve where people surfed, get to the beach & dive. now forbidden to fish in it. So the deciders can make people believe that they want to protect the ecologic system of reunion island despite the fact that 85% of them are involved secretly in the fishing industry. The make the sea empty of fish !!!! Results: reef is dying, ecologic disaster. the reef shark disappeared from the coast (protected specy). We were for 5 years begging for help to change the situation & were alarming the fact that a protected specy were disappearing from our coast!!! But they made a well done effort to shut down the mouthes of the media & peaple going on strikes. Now, reunion island water is infested of bull sharks. Attack can happen at any time, anywhere, in any sea conditions or weather conditions regardless of what kind activity you’re doing. Since 2 years, in all the cases, the shark or the sharks tried to eat the people. One example? A friend of mine lost his life at 3 PM in clear water, 5 ft swell, entering in the water with his bodyboard.He was eaten by 3 big bullsharks at 10 meters from the shore in less than half 1 meter of depth. So well eaten that the last thing my friends saw was a shark going away with his “body” (no arms no legs no butt & still alive). It was the most popular beach of the island where people bring their children to play in water. Another example ? Last year, during 15 minutes, a tiger shark in clear water tried to eat a part of the canoe of a man. This also happened with a bull shark after that. Every day, men I know well are payed to survey the sea for people at the beach. Every day they see 3 to 4 bull shark at less than 100 meter from the shore ! If they tell that publicly, they fired. The island is small & they’re to sure to be unumployed because the powerfull people who oblige them to do that could frighten them. Do you find it normal. You can find bull sharks in the rivers now, & inside the lagoon !!! 2 meters bullshark inside the lagoon, reproducing them !!!! Normal ??? No one except surfers or fishers do nothing !!! Deciders pay scientist 700 000 euros per year to say that surfers are responsible of the attacks. I must not die because a lot of sharks die all other the world. It’s not my fault. I tried to save the reef shark… but… What can I say? Can I fight against politics involved in fishing industry ??? Pfffff … What should we do now ? No one bath on beaches that are not in the lagoon. & few people know that the lagoon is not a protection against the bull shark…. Do I have to enter in the water for the shark to eat me, so he can live his life in an ecologic anomaly that has become our waters. BULL SHARK ARE NOT A PROTECTED SPECY. Bullshark at 50 from the shore are killing our economy, our way of life, the future of our children. They’re were at least 1 missed-attack every 7 days this year… So I say from my 3 dead friends, victims of shark attack: “NO MORE PEOPLE KILLED AGAIN UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES”. Killing some sharks is not eliminating all. We want our ecologic system back. We want some peace before we leave this world, no more trauma. No more people criticizing us. Surfers wanted many many solutions that would not kill the sharks. deciders desagree. After that, we surfers wanted to kill sharks in the reserve next to the people. They did not want. They even did not want to kill the shark that kill my friend to give the body back to the family… This shark stayed at the same place during 3 days & was surveyed from the attack until he leaved the place. What could someone tell to his mother who’ve lost his husbant 1 year before, his sister, his sister having a handicap. What .. I mean.. What … Ahh.. I have enougn, sorry, too hard fo me i bterr go way sd

  12. Paige Kosturi

    If you love our Ocean, please stop killing sharks! There is no excuse for this! Kill the Ocean, You Kill Us All!

  13. Lana

    Angel,
    In my first post it may have come across the wrong way, but it is good to see we are somewhat on the same page. I try to submit my opinion on many sites only to see it never published. If you don’t agree with them they don’t publish it and I spend wasted time. This site seems to let you post your opinions no matter what they are.

  14. Angel

    Lana,

    That is why they are called opinions. How you feel and think is right is your opinion.

    Nobody should blame anyone for what or how they think.

    The only obstacle may be the use of slang or curse somehow. What every our opinion is, we need to stay calm and keep our kindness.

    This is respect for ourselves and others.

    You can not imagine how I feel about this Governor. But I just do not write it all here. I can not.

    It is disrespectful to you all and the owners of this site.

    And he will not understand anyway. Please see Leanne’s post. He even deleted her post just because she is opposed to his nonsense idea.

    I am sure she put her wording in such a nice way and scientifically that he may not delete it for respect reasons.

    It is so disrespectful to delete a comment even for a politician. But this is what we face all the time. Politicians are same all over the world.

    They always tell you what you want to hear or what you hate to hear. They do their own agenda at the end.

    It is all about votes, power and money at the end. That is why the shark is loosing the game.

  15. Angel

    http://sharkyear.com/2012/dismantling-media-produced-fear-toward-predators.html copied fom paper.
    After a shark attack, local residents tend to go on a shark hunt where they try to catch and kill any sharks. This still occurs today as we have seen in Australia and other locations where sharks are prevalent (BBC, 2011). The chance of catching the shark that performed the actual attack is negligible, so instead many sharks that were not involved in the initial attack are killed. This is an example of actions prompted by fear accompanied by a need to blame something and seek retribution. Fear can alter our actions from rational ones to illogical ones and alter our perceptions from neutral ones to ones filled with hatred. As an individual our fear may have come from first-hand experience, but with the increase of fear based media stories individual fears are being widely disseminated creating a societal fear.
    A Society’s Identity
    Fear is no longer just an individual response but one that can permeate all of society. We fear as an individual and as one of a group. ‘Feeling rules’ are the rules that regulate our responses and influence our behavior. These rules inform us on what to fear and how we should fear it . This goes along with ‘cultural scripts’ that allow us to understand emotions such as fear. Not only does one have to understand fear on an individual level, but also the interaction with others that allows us to respond to threats that are facing society. A shark may only attack one person in the water, but everyone on the beach is affected as well as anyone who reads or watches the report on the attack. Our reaction to fear is now based on the way our culture indicates how fear should be experienced and expressed. We have to remember that fear does not just happen.
    This fear that is being seen in contemporary societies has also been given the label ‘raw fear’

    • FOLIO

      As a friend of some dead people of reunion sharks attack, I can say to you that it is a very good explanation of what we feel. I think proptecting a specy is a good thing if this specy indicates a good wealth on its ecosystem. If the system is abnormal, too much of a specy is another problem. But I also thing we must understand more & more & not deny human reactions in such dramatic cases to be able to communicate with people without harming them. I feel frightened by the bullshark in reunion island, and I have good reason to be that way. It’s essential to understand what part of the reaction is purely instictive & reptilian & which one is from the cortex, the reason. We also must respect the people that are affected as group, because I can tell you that anybody would react the same regardless of his origin, education, experience & knowledge. Fear are not always based on media. When I first saw the movie jaws, I was very young but experienced with the sea… This first time, I laughed a lot coze the movie is such unrealistic & caricatural. In attacks happening for 20 years here, as a surfer, I did not feel frightened anyway due the fact that the attacks were natural things part of the risk & very rare despite it happened to some friends. Accidents. But these 2 last years, numbers of attacks in very small area (9 attacks on 30 km of coast line at less than 100 meter from shore, 42 alerts of sharks hunting behavier at 50 meters from beach with swimmers) their conditions (anytime, on kayakists, 1 pm etc) & at in less than 1 meter of water made me understand the ecological system is going very very wrong here. Despite all the emotions & fears that I feel now. I know there is a reason to fear the change of the bull sharks & tiger shark behaviour & their numbers in my island. More than that, beeing a surfer, I know that sharks take us as turtle this is the reason they bite on time, then go out, understanding that it’s not turtle flesh. always, people coming to help victims have no reason to fear the sharks, & in reunion, surfers are used about it & always tried to save victims immediately without taking care of the shark. But these last two years, in all attacks sharks tried to eat surfers & even kayacs with at least 3 bites. In 2 cases, 4 to 5 sharks attacked the men with frenesy & in 1 case, a friend of mine was completely eaten by the sharks who were charging people trying to help him to get them away from him: all that in clear water, on 50 cm of depth over living coral reef at 5 meter from the shore, between a set of waves & at 3 pm… The night at this period falls at 7 pm…. Your comment is very good but media movies do not always play the same fear depending on the education & the experience you have. Criss, ex surfer Reunion Island. For information, 60 kms of beaches that were crowded before these last two years are closed because bull sharks are spotted in rivermouths, & at less than 100 meters from the shore almost every day. These beaches never witness such problems during 100 year of shark problems record in reunion island…

  16. Angel

    Continued…
    This is a fear that was once focused strictly on tangible threats but has now become volatile. The fear is not focused and without any logical connections it can drift from one problem to another. This form of fear has led us to believe we
    PREDATOR RELATIONS IN THE MEDIA
    are overly vulnerable and in a ‘crisis of causality’ where we can only sit and wait for the worst possible outcome The viewer or reader is ‘at risk’ when a passive and dependent attitude towards the media is adopted In this role the fear is more than an emotion, it becomes part of their identity altering their behavior and attitude .

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