Shark attacks happen. They seem to be inevitable. I’d say we have no way of stopping them, but that doesn’t stop people from trying. Although we have no proven way to stop shark attacks altogether, let’s cover some of the ways people have tried – from prophylactic measures to policy adjustments at shark attack-prone locales worldwide.
Reunion Island
Since 2011, Reunion Island, a French island located in the Indian Ocean, has been home to five fatal shark attacks. Following the second fatal attack of this year, the French Government gave local authorities the go-ahead to not only temporarily prohibit ocean activity along much of the island’s coastline but also to cull the shark population by 90 sharks. Officials, surfers, and citizens across the world have since voiced their outrage at this island shark hunt.
Jeffreys Bay, South Africa
Earlier this week, a man was attacked and killed at Jeffreys Bay, South Africa. The Great White Shark was so big that eye witnesses of the attack thought the man was actually double-teamed by two sharks. In response to this attack, beaches in the surrounding areas were reportedly closed for the weekend. The tourism officials of Jeffreys Bay reacted by urging the public to be cautious in and around the coast. South Africa is currently ranked third, behind the U.S. and Australia, for unprovoked shark attacks with four last year. With numbers like this, it’s intriguing that their response is a temporary beach closure and warnings of caution.
Western Australia
Last year Australia was home to 14 shark attacks. In response, Western Australia announced that it would allow people to kill sharks if they were seen near swimmers. Though no sharks have been killed because of it, it’s the only country to implement such a policy.
New South Wales, Australia
As a more co-existent measure, in New South Wales, the Coffs Harbour Boardriders Club is offering a course to teach participants surfboard rescue techniques in ocean emergencies involving sharks.
Hawaii
Hawaii has been home to eight shark attacks so far this year. In 2012, there were 11 reported attacks. These numbers have spiked from a reported three attacks in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Following this jump in numbers over recent years, Honolulu officials announced their intent to launch a two-year research effort aimed at studying shark movements around Hawaii. Sharks are often tagged and tracked to gather information on their movements and behavior in attempts to prevent attacks.
Millions of sharks are killed by humans every year. The ocean is their domain, and how we choose to respond to their presence defines our relationship with the ocean and its inhabitants.
