Unprovoked Shark Bites: Are They Becoming More Prevalent?

paperPublished online on 05. September 2014

Unprovoked Shark Bites: Are They Becoming More Prevalent?

Daryl McPhee

ABSTRACT:

An unprovoked shark bite is an extremely infrequent, but highly disturbing hazard for water sport participants in many parts of the world. Information was analysed on the total number of unprovoked shark bites between 1982 and 2011. In this period, unprovoked shark bite were recorded from 56 countries with 27 recording fatalities; however 84.5% occurred in only six countries – United States, Australia, South Africa, Brazil, Bahamas and Reunion Island. The three shark species commonly responsible for unprovoked bites are the white shark (Carcharodon carcharias), the tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier), and the bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas). Over the period examined, the total number of unprovoked shark bites and the number that were fatal increased in frequency. However, fatalities from unprovoked fatal shark bite still represented an infrequent hazard to people utilising the coastal zone for water-based leisure activities. The increase in unprovoked shark bite could not be explained entirely by increases in human population, and this article also concluded that changes in the population of relevant shark species were also unlikely to explain the increase. The paper concluded that both natural and anthropogenic factors may change the amount of spatial overlap between relevant shark species and areas of human use.

Coastal Management, Volume 42, Issue 5, 2014
DOI: 10.1080/08920753.2014.942046

SOURCE

 

2 Comments

  1. lenny

    Provoked, unprovoked…load of BS. Shark ATTACK is what it is simple. The girls on the kayak..ATTACK..This above JUNK is just that, JUNK, McPhee is employed by the dumb shark also. If anyone except me graphed shark ATTACK in Australia they would see that its sooo obvious shark ATTACK is increasing. Why would McPhee try and mislead the public? Because he is employed by the shark..simple. Makes well over 100K while we get eaten alive and mutilated. Sickening people. Shame on you McPhee.

    Look at the victims or survivors attack area then Google Marine Reserve for that area and BINGO…at least 70% happen in MR’s and AR’s. How can McSellout to humans miss these facts? Easy thats how, he ignores them because it keeps him employed. My graph willl keep spiking and marine bios in Oz and worldwide lose more cred by the day. Murderers…they will say later that they couldnt tell. 

    Glen Folkard.

  2. paddy

    Gettin beyond a joke this!! not only are these sharks plotting our demise and planning global domination! ! There now employing scientists to post fictional facts and articles to lure us into a false sense of security!!

    Glen…do the sharks pay a good salary?

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