Damon Mcknight
Australia has recorded numerous shark attacks, with the Australian Shark-Incident Database listing 237 fatal attacks between 1791 and April 2018, and 11 more in 2020 and 2021. In February 2022, a fatal shark attack occurred in Sydney, with authorities still searching for the great white shark responsible. This incident marked the city's first fatal shark attack in almost 60 years. While shark netting has proven effective in reducing attacks, it has also attracted criticism for its negative impact on the ecosystem. To address this issue, the New South Wales Government allocated $16 million to reduce shark bites and mitigate financial losses in the tourism industry.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the victim | Simon Nellist |
| Date of the attack | 17 February 2022 |
| Location of the attack | Little Bay in east Sydney |
| Type of shark | Great white shark |
| Number of fatal shark attacks in Australia between 1791 and April 2018 | 237 |
| Number of fatal shark attacks in Australia in 2020 and 2021 | 11 |
| Average number of shark bites per year between 2010 and 2020 | 22 bites per year |
| Number of shark attacks in Australia in 2021 | 5 |
| Number of shark attacks in Australia in 2020 | 17 |
| Number of shark attacks in Australia so far in 2022 | 4 |
| Number of shark attacks in Australia in 2021 that were fatal | 2 |
| Number of shark attacks in Australia in 2020 that were fatal | 7 |
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What You'll Learn
Shark attacks in Sydney are uncommon
Sydney Harbour is home to potentially dangerous shark species such as white sharks, tiger sharks, and bull sharks. Bull sharks tend to reside in the harbour during the summer before moving to the Brisbane River in winter. Warmer waters due to climate change can also bring sharks closer to beachgoers. To avoid shark encounters, experts recommend swimming at beaches with enclosures or taking precautions such as not swimming too far from the shore or in dirty water.
While shark attacks are rare in Sydney, Australia has a high number of shark-related incidents globally. Between 1791 and April 2018, there were 237 fatal shark attacks in the country, with 11 additional fatalities reported in 2020 and 2021. Australia averages 10 to 15 shark bites annually, with a recent increase to 22 bites per year from 2010 to 2020.
To address the issue, the New South Wales Government allocated AU$16 million to reduce shark bites and mitigate financial losses from tourism. Shark netting has proven effective in reducing attacks but has faced criticism for its ecological impact. Australian authorities have also started referring to "shark attacks" as "negative encounters" to change public perception and promote conservation efforts.
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Australia's most recent fatal shark attack
Australia has seen a high number of shark attacks, with over 1,000 individual investigations recorded in the Australian Shark-Incident Database since 1791. Between 1791 and April 2018, there were 237 fatal shark attacks in Australia. In the years 2020 and 2021, there were 11 fatal shark attacks in the country.
The majority of fatal attacks are attributed to four shark species: the bull shark, tiger shark, oceanic whitetip shark, and great white shark. Over 90% of all shark bite incidents in Australia are attributed to these species, with white sharks contributing to the highest number of reported attacks in recent years.
Bull sharks are particularly dangerous because they can survive in both salt and freshwater, increasing their potential for attacks. They have been responsible for several fatalities at the surface of the water, involving people swimming, surfing, or diving. Tiger sharks have also caused fatalities, both at the surface and while victims were submerged.
To reduce the risk of shark attacks, the Australian Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage, and the Arts has recommended several precautions. These include avoiding swimming far from the shore, in dirty water, alone, or near people fishing, especially at dusk or night. It is also important to be vigilant about erratic behaviour in schools of fish and leave the water if necessary.
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The Australian Shark-Incident Database
The database includes information on the various species of sharks involved in incidents, such as White Sharks, Bull Sharks, Tiger Sharks, Wobbegongs, and other whaler sharks. It also provides insights into the behaviours and habitats of these sharks. For instance, White Sharks typically hunt by attacking from depth and striking their prey at the surface, while Bull Sharks prefer murky waters. Tiger Sharks and Bull Sharks are more commonly found in warmer waters, whereas White Sharks can tolerate cooler temperatures.
The database has recorded 237 fatal shark attacks in Australia between 1791 and April 2018, with an additional 11 fatal attacks in 2020 and 2021. While shark netting has proven effective in reducing attacks, it has also faced criticism for its negative impact on the ecosystem. This is due to the use of baited drumlines and nets that may attract sharks to areas they typically avoid and inadvertently trap non-target species.
To address public perception and garner support for conservation efforts, Australian authorities have started referring to "shark attacks" as "negative encounters" or "interactions" since 2021. This change in wording aims to dispel the notion of sharks as inherently aggressive and instead highlight their ecological significance. Despite these efforts, there has been an increase in reported attacks by White Sharks and Bull Sharks over the past two decades, with a corresponding rise in fatalities, injuries, and uninjured incidents.
The database is a valuable resource for understanding shark behaviour and implementing effective conservation measures. It also provides essential information for public education and safety protocols to reduce the risk of shark incidents.
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Shark netting and its impact on the ecosystem
Shark attacks in Australia have been a concern for a long time. The Australian Shark-Incident Database has recorded 237 fatal shark attacks between 1791 and April 2018, with 11 more in 2020 and 2021. The annual average has increased from nine bites per year between 1990 and 2000 to 22 bites per year from 2010 to 2020. In an effort to reduce these incidents, shark nets have been installed in some areas. Shark nets are submerged sections of gillnets placed at beaches to intercept large marine animals, including sharks, and reduce the likelihood of shark attacks on swimmers.
While shark netting has proven to be effective in reducing shark attacks, it has also been criticised for its negative impact on the marine ecosystem. The nets have large mesh sizes and are designed to entangle and capture sharks, but they often end up trapping other marine animals as well, including non-harmful shark species, whales, dolphins, turtles, rays, and other animals, many of which are vulnerable or threatened with extinction. Environmentalists, conservationists, and animal rights activists argue that shark nets are unethical and harmful to the marine ecosystem. They also claim that there is no scientific evidence that nets make the ocean safer for people, as only around 10% of the catch in shark nets is the intended target shark species.
The Save Our Seas Foundation has designed and manufactured the world's first "temporary" shark exclusion net, which can be deployed and retrieved daily. This reduces the environmental impact as the net is not in the water overnight when the entanglement risk is highest. It also ensures that the net does not get damaged in strong seas. This type of net has been successfully used to exclude a range of shark species, including white sharks, bronze whaler sharks, hammerhead sharks, and short tail sharks.
In addition to the environmental concerns, there are also questions about the effectiveness of shark nets in preventing shark attacks. Some studies have found that shark nets are not effective in keeping people safe, and that improved safety at beaches is due to other factors such as beach patrols and improved emergency and medical responses.
Overall, while shark netting may have a role to play in reducing shark attacks, it is important to consider its potential impact on the marine ecosystem and explore alternative strategies that can provide a balance between human safety and marine life conservation.
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Reducing the risk of shark attacks
Shark attacks are indeed rare, and the risk of a fatal shark encounter is very low for the average beachgoer. However, there are still some precautions that can be taken to reduce the risk even further.
Firstly, it is important to be aware of your surroundings and avoid swimming too far from the shore, especially at dawn or dusk, or at the mouth of a river, or near deep drop-offs. It is also advised to avoid swimming in dirty water, alone, or with pets, near anglers, or in areas with known effluents or sewage. It is also important to be cautious when waters are murky, as some shark species will have trouble seeing, just as humans would in those conditions.
It is also advised to avoid excess splashing, particularly in one spot, as sharks can hear low-frequency sounds and may investigate. Similarly, it is best to avoid swimming near schools of fish, as they could be prey for sharks, and it is also wise to avoid wearing shiny jewellery, as the reflected light may resemble the sheen of fish scales.
If a shark is spotted, it is important to slowly and calmly evacuate the water, and if a person is bitten, they should be lifted out of the water to avoid dragging any injuries through the sand. It is also important to secure the person's airway and apply compression to stop any bleeding.
In addition to these precautions, the use of personal electronic deterrent devices has been suggested as a potential method to reduce shark bites, and when combined with other strategies like drones and acoustic tracking, they could effectively lower risks and reassure the public.
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Frequently asked questions
The Australian Shark-Incident Database is a comprehensive record of shark-related incidents in Australia, containing over 1,000 individual investigations from 1791 to the present day. It is maintained by a small team from the Taronga Conservation Society Australia, Flinders University, and the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries.
On average, Australia records about 20 shark attacks per year, with most occurring in New South Wales and Western Australia. Between 1990 and 2000, there were nine bites per year, increasing to an annual average of 22 bites per year from 2010 to 2020.
The most dangerous shark species in terms of attacks on humans in Australia are the white shark, bull shark, tiger shark, and wobbegong shark. These species are responsible for the majority of shark bite incidents in the country.
The Australian Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts recommends several precautions, including avoiding swimming far from the shore, near river mouths or drop-offs to deeper water, in dirty water, alone or with domestic animals, near people fishing, or at dusk or night. It is also advised to leave the water if schools of fish behave erratically or gather in large numbers.
Shark netting has been implemented in some areas, such as Sydney, to deter sharks and protect swimmers. However, this method has faced criticism for its negative impact on the ecosystem and the potential to attract sharks to areas they typically do not inhabit. Other strategies include the use of personal electronic deterrent devices, drones, and acoustic tracking to lower risks and reassure the public.
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