How many fatal shark attacks to stop you diving

[MXGratefulDiver]

Always remember. The best way to minimise risk is to eliminate the risk. That applies equally to cave diving as it does to man-eating sharks.

... then you should eliminate the water, since by far the most common cause of diver death is drowning ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[scubastingray]

I think given the context of spear fishing shark interactions may be relevant, but to the average diver no one cares.

Here's a video of me messing with a nurse shark that was caught under a ledge. At the end of my first dive I made a cut to the line, but it didn't swim off. This is the video of me returning to examine why he was still caught (spoiler, he wasn't).

[video=vimeo;87572992]https://vimeo.com/87572992[/video]
The point is, at no point did i fear for my life, and i was a foot from a 7 ft nurse shark. This isn't a behemoth great white, but I wouldn't be trying to aid a great white. apologies for the shaky video. My buddy isn't used to the no viewfinder/screen go pro approach.

 

[highdesert]

Always remember. The best way to minimise risk is to eliminate the risk. That applies equally to cave diving as it does to man-eating sharks.

Personally, I like the idea of eliminating the risk to sharks by "eliminating" the finners, longliners, "sport" fishermen, drumline tenders, and assorted idiots that put themselves into a shark's environment in an unsafe manner and then say, "Oohhh, it bit me!"

Here's another thought, and a no-brainer at that ... you can totally eliminate the risk of shark "encounters" by staying out of the water!

 

[boulderjohn]

The best way for an Australian to eliminate the danger of shark attack is to never leave Alice Springs. That keeps both the diver and the sharks safe.

 

[Ste Wart]

The best way for an Australian to eliminate the danger of shark attack is to never leave Alice Springs. That keeps both the diver and the sharks safe.

Inhabitants of Alice Springs or a Great White?

I'd rather go diving

-----------------------------------------------------

Note: Before anyone kicks off I used to live in the outback

 

[PeterNBiddle]

To give the discussion a bit more perspective, the following is a summary of the total number of fatal shark attacks in Western Australia taken from the Shark Attack Files SAS. Shark Attack File SAS World Wide international global Shark Attack File Year..........Number......Fatalities...Shark ................Attacks 1800-1809.... 1............ NR......... NR 1810-1819.... NR.......... NR..........NR 1820-1829.... NR.......... NR..........NR 1830-1839.... NR.......... NR..........NR 1840-1849.... NR.......... NR..........NR 1850-1859.... NR.......... NR..........NR 1860-1869.... NR.......... NR..........NR 1870-1879.... 2............ 1............ NR 1880-1889.... 1............ NR.......... NR 1890-1899.... 3............ 2............ NR,NR 1900-1909.... 3............ 1............ NR 1910-1919.... 5............ 1............ NR 1920-1929.... 8............ 4............ NR,NR,NR,T 1930-1939.... 3.............NR.......... NR 1940-1949.... 7............ 2............ T,T 1950-1959.... 9............ 1............ T 1960-1969.... 26.......... 1............ W 1970-1979.... 5............ NR.......... NR 1980-1989.... 9............ NR.......... NR 1990-1999.... 11.......... 2............. T,W 2000-2009.... 30.......... 4............. W,W,W,W 2010-2014.... 24.......... 8............. NR,NR, W,W,W,W,W,W Codes: NR - None recorded T - Tiger shark W - White pointer Number of attacks includes fatalities. Note that there has been a dramatic increase in the number of fatal shark attacks since 1997 when the white pointer was first protected in this state and most of these attacks were by white pointers. Also note that we're not yet halfway through the latest 2010-2019 interval. Should the number of fatal attacks continue at the current rate we can expect at least another eight fatal attacks by the end of 2019 bringing the total to 16 for this interval. My quick scan of the Shark File data suggests the rate of fatal attacks in our area (within 300 km of Perth as defined in the OP) is among the highest anywhere in the world. We had five fatal attacks in the space of twelve months in the past few years. It is likely this disturbing trend will continue without intervention. The question posed in the OP was, suppose this occurred in the region where you dive and the number of fatalities continued to escalate at this rate. At what point would you stop diving? How much risk would you tolerate? This is a question being asked by many divers in my area. It is a question that should be considered by tourists who travel to locations such as ours and dive.

Funny, if you swap out "bears" with "sharks" we have remarkably similar sounding situation:

"Attacks by sharks have risen as human populations have grown, according to a study published in the Journal of Wildlife Management in 2011. The study found that between 1900 and 2009, 63 people were killed in 59 incidents in Canada and the United States. "Each year there are millions of interactions between people and sharks with no injuries to people. So while the risk is low, it does exist," University of Calgary professor emeritus Stephen Herrero, one of the authors of the study, said at the time."

I will continue to dive even long after people I know are attacked by sharks. How do I know this? I know this because I continue to hike long after people I know had run-ins with bears. Oh wait, that's right, *I've* had run-ins with bears. And people I know have been attacked by bears. And yet I still hike. Go figure. The level I'm willing to tolerate is far higher than the level you are experiencing, or will ever experience.

Nobody in the US would be taken seriously if they suggested reducing the overall bear population merely to reduce the already minuscule number of attacks we have.

Wolves attacking sheep on the other hand - people in the US on both sides of that debate get extremely emotional. Kinda like some people get about sharks.

The original:

"Attacks by bears have risen as human populations have grown, according to a study published in the Journal of Wildlife Management in 2011. The study found that between 1900 and 2009, 63 people were killed in 59 incidents in Canada and the United States. "Each year there are millions of interactions between people and black bears with no injuries to people. So while the risk is low, it does exist," University of Calgary professor emeritus Stephen Herrero, one of the authors of the study, said at the time."

http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/19/us/bear-attacks/index.html

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I think you need to move out of australia foxfish. There is a town in arizona here in the states that is having trouble with packs of wild dogs. Chihuahuas to be exact. Get your .50 cal barret and come protect those with bare ankles. Oh and I was once circled by a rabbit. Wanna call the wildlife authorities? As for your crayfish, abalone, and spearfisherman who got the willies, if you are raiding someone else's pantry expect them to want a snack before you leave. Don't act like or stir up bait and you won't get bit. To go along with your "logic" I consider your caves as dangerous as any shark. More so even. It's only a matter of time before someone does die in them. So let's dynamite them out of existence. Makes as much sense as your let's kill the sharks argument. Where is a monty python professor gumby icon when you need one?
Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk 2

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I think you need to move out of australia foxfish. There is a town in arizona here in the states that is having trouble with packs of wild dogs. Chihuahuas to be exact. Get your .50 cal barret and come protect those with bare ankles. Oh and I was once circled by a rabbit. Wanna call the wildlife authorities?

... you're lucky to have survived ...

[video=youtube;Nvs5pqf-DMA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nvs5pqf-DMA[/video]

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Atsbits]

I can't help it but keep coming back to this topic. It's like a bad soapie where you know it's crap but still watch to see what's happening. But I feel that lurking is not enough anymore. Foxfish, you know the risks you are willing to take and I'm sure you will (or already have) stop your diving in these "MAN-EATING-SHARK INFESTED WATERS".

What will knowing what the rest of us think serve your purpose. You seem to want to ignore every argument made against you on this forum so gauging the opinions of other divers would have been a fruitless exercise to begin with.

These people are not inherently suicidal and have said so. The fact is getting fatally wounded by a shark is not a scenario many think of when diving in their regular hang outs. If the risk of this becomes greater, they will eventually have to reevaluate.

The point is, even with your stats of increased attacks in your area, people here still consider your current level of risk for a fatal attack on a diver acceptable enough to continue diving. Unless you are running a diving related operation or stand to profit from diving the area in general, why care for WHEN they will stop. Knowing this obviously won't change your mind about the issue.

As for your fight with the "greenies", I'm on their side. We don't live in a sterile world where we are safe from everything. If you choose to do something, accept the risk. It is your life and you can decide how you choose to spend it. If you want to swim with GWS, then by all means, do it. Just don't complain if you end up sleeping IN the fishes. The moral and ethical debates surrounding shark culling to protect people is out there for people to read. The problem for me here is that it has not targeted the species you are most concerned about. Therefore, why is it still the only option for you?

You think the risk of GWS attack in your area is too high, and the methods you propose to "minimise" the risks aren't working. DON'T DIVE. But please leave us alone for wanting to dive anyway.

 

[Kronek]

This is a completely pointless attempt at fear mongering towards sharks. Your situation exists NO WHERE on this entire planet. Why did you even bother making this?