Heretic Posted August 28, 2015 Was talking to a mate today about how shark attacks seem to be occurring more frequently in recent times ..... He reckons it is because the sharks are now protected that there numbers have increased dramatically [ like crocs ] . And maybe also there are more people in the water nowadays ..... I no longer surf , but lately I no longer even go for a swim - where I live is pretty isolated , and sharky ..... I wonder what is going on , and why attacks seem to be happening more often these days ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BedOSpines Posted August 28, 2015 I don't think there is. "5 July, 2015: Tasmanian man Damian Johnson, 46, is killed by a great white shark while diving for scallops with his daughter, between Maria and Lachland islands. " So humback whale populations are on the rise, great whites eat humbacks, july is right when humpbacks come close to the coast for the annual mygration from antarctic waters, humpbacks or commonly sighted around tassie, go figgure. 29 December, 2014: Jay Muscat, is killed at Cheynes beach, east of Albany in Western Australia. The last commercial whale hunting off Western Australia stopped when the Cheynes Beach Whaling Company near Albany closed in 1978. It's the whales I tell ya, haha. Just my oppinion. Peace 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Anodyne Posted August 28, 2015 I wonder what is going on , and why attacks seem to be happening more often these days ? There could be some real statistics out there somewhere that prove me wrong, but I have to wonder if the key phrase there is "seem to be". I have heard the argument that this apparent rise can be explained by: (a) wider media coverage, so we hear about every shark attack in Australia, US, and a few other countries, not just a few local or particularly horrific ones like we would've a few decades ago. Remember when international news was five minutes at the end of the news hour, not updates every five minutes to your phone? This can make it seem like someone is being eaten every other week. (incidentally it also makes it seem like crime & violence are increasing) ( more people spending more time in the ocean - now this might seem like a meaningless difference, but it's not if "increased risk of shark attacks" is your concern. So say in 1950 each week 1 million Aussies went swimming or surfing, and there was 1 shark attack on average per year. And now in 2015 we have 2 million swimmers/surfers per week and there are an average of 2 shark attacks per year. With numbers like those, the odds of being attacked haven't actually increased. And while I just made those numbers up to illustrate my point, I believe that the effect I'm describing here is a valid explanation of at least some of the apparent increase. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waterboy 2.0 Posted August 28, 2015 Sharks all know now aussies will punch on...lol Depleted food resources and more humans looking like crippled seals in the water I reckon 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Maxofoz Posted August 28, 2015 (edited) Payback for finning so many of them. Edited August 28, 2015 by Maxofoz 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
paradox Posted August 28, 2015 If there is indeed more attacks, & it's not just the fact theres more people, more media attention giving th illusion etc etc... Then i'd say a very large factor would have to be the fact that massive areas of ocean ecosystems are beginning to seriously collapse. Profound over-fishing, radioactive contamination, extreme pollution of every kind & extreme climatological fluctuations etc.. go figure. What would a top ocean predator do when their food sources become extremely unreliable? Probably head toward coastlines & desperately try anything it can get it's teeth into. unfortunately humans are about the most abundant & reliable food source left in the oceans these days.Something interesting is that since they banned commercial fishing in sydney harbor due to the extreme levels of dioxin, fish stocks have bounced back, as have bull shark & other large shark species. Through the tagging studies they've been doing, they've shown that the populations are so healthy that at any one time there is more than likely to be a large bull shark moving past any one beach within a very short distance of unprotected swimmers basically all the time & they seem to not show the slightest interest in the splashing, swimming, flailing humans. The inference being that when the ecosystem is healthy & their natural prey are abundant then harmonious co-existence between us & them is very realistic as they would never bother going out of their way to eat a disgusting bony primate. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
spooge Posted August 28, 2015 (edited) you go walking in certain jungles in the world n your gonna get eaten by some kinda animal, sharks are no different, were swimming in their domain, its expected. dreadfully sad for the people and families involved. having spent a few years on prawn trawlers and barra boats theres no way i would ever swim in the ocean as i know that within a few meters of the shore their are big people eating nasties, human flesh or not, meat is meat. I wouldn't trust no bull sharks either after that unfortunate lady had her arms and legs chewed off in Morton bay a few years back. Sharks of many kinds have been eating many people for quite a long time and they will continue to do so, brings it all into perspective when we can travel into space yet still get eaten by bi fishies. EDIT ; cows trample more people than sharks eat each year. Edited August 29, 2015 by olive 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DeadStar Posted August 29, 2015 (edited) Im not really sure but i have notice a few things in the last few years while out fishing. i have noticed there are more bait fish in the bay and the places i fish, which have brought bigger numbers of big fish close inshore. the government trawler licence buy back would have help fish numbers increase also. There has even been sail fish caught in victoria waters. Most victorians would go north to cach them. So could the sharks just be following the warmer water and food source which has increased slightly recently and humans are just collateral damage Edit. Shit grammer and spelling Edited August 29, 2015 by DeadStar 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
glimpse Posted August 29, 2015 as far as great whites are concerned, I think the increasing number of tourism dive operators chumming up the water and then dangling humans in cages is helping to make us look like a viable easy-meal option 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Heretic Posted August 29, 2015 There are definitely more reports of attacks in Australia over the past 5 years or so . Once it was quite a rare event , although I don't know where to find such statistics . I am guessing possibly a combo of factors : more sharks due to their protection , and more people in the water , and as Dead Star above notes more bait fish , etc ..... Certainly an utterly appalling tragedy , and my heart goes out to the victims and their families 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wert Posted August 29, 2015 Great white sharks migrate through bass strait and up the east coast of oz on there way to africa. They dont have specific territorys like some think. Its just pure chance attacks. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sallubrious Posted August 29, 2015 All those fukwits dangling rubber seals in the water behind their boats must be teaching the sharks some unnatural behavior. I'm not suggesting its the reason we are seeing more attacks, but it could be a factor. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DeadStar Posted August 29, 2015 All those fukwits dangling rubber seals in the water behind their boats must be teaching the sharks some unnatural behavior. I'm not suggesting its the reason we are seeing more attacks, but it could be a factor. I agree sally. Why is it still legal for this sort of business to operate. If we cant stop it world wide, i think we should at least add a condition that no artificial lure allowed and ONLY the captain of the boat can be dangled overboard similar to this 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theuserformallyknownasd00d Posted August 29, 2015 (edited) I think what the guy said at the end of the colossus attacks video was spot on. If they really wanted us, they'd be having us. Edited August 29, 2015 by theuserformallyknownasd00d 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sallubrious Posted August 29, 2015 (edited) Did anyone see the time some dipstick went cage diving with a birdcage and a fucking big tiger nearly had him for lunch ? If the shark got him it would have been a good case of natural selection flushing the idiots out of the gene pool. Edited August 29, 2015 by Sally 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theuserformallyknownasd00d Posted August 29, 2015 (edited) Holy cow Edited August 29, 2015 by theuserformallyknownasd00d 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oncewhywechange Posted August 29, 2015 (edited) Hello, There's been so many attacks and sightings of sharks in my area it's scarey Talking to a few of the old locals and they haven't ever seen this before? Edited August 29, 2015 by smithy 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sallubrious Posted August 29, 2015 (edited) These days we have a lot of floating fish factories mowing down everything in the open ocean and some recently created protected fish nurseries in coastal areas. Maybe the sharks have just moved to where the food is ? Edited August 29, 2015 by Sally 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DeadStar Posted August 29, 2015 None of this is helping me with my fear of swimming in the ocean 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Heretic Posted August 29, 2015 I wonder if it may be a result of us harvesting too many fish ? . Is there less of their normal food about ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ColinO'Scopy Posted August 29, 2015 Perhaps our modern diet is making us taste better Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sallubrious Posted August 29, 2015 Half the nation is now convinced they will drop dead if they don't eat copious amounts fish oil every day. Maybe some people are creating their own fish scented burley trails from exudates in their perspiration? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
brooa Posted August 29, 2015 Depleted food resources and more humans looking like crippled seals in the water I reckon ^this! how many more people swim/fish in the ocean around aus now then in 1975? alot! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wert Posted August 29, 2015 (edited) I wonder if it may be a result of us harvesting too many fish ? . Is there less of their normal food about ? For those who dont know great whites prefer fatty food. Hence eating seals n wales. Maybe its got something to do with the obesity epidemic. Lol Were really not on there list of prioroty food thats a fact. Edited August 29, 2015 by wert 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ghosty Posted August 29, 2015 Lots of things. all obvious as far as im concerned. The super-trawler raping all the ocean life. Mining habits including gas (brisbane peoples will, im sure, have seen their water go to shit over the last 2 weeks. Comes out of the tap cloudy and then SLOWLY clears up lots of gas in it. Dont know what it is yet. Seen on northside and south). We are not only destroying our own environment but that of all life, such as fish etc. toxifying the waters and land, upsetting the food chains (everything is balanced) and naturally, becoming the food for those that are currently affected by stupid humans actions. However, You will be pleased to know this is very easy to stop. All we need to do is come up with a "documentary", "news story" or some other common game. In short, speak a whole load of utter bullsh!t.. Just say that the numbers of sharks and related attacks is actually down when compared to some date, and many will think they sound smart to repeat it like a parrot, then, the problem is fixed. In my 40 years, I'm yet to see any other approach here. Let the sharks have their food =) they don't bother me. Though they can scare me.. When they knock me off my feet... I liked the fish oil idea. I think it may indeed be a very small, VERY small factor here. If you live around brisbane, keep an eye on your tap water.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites