Sharks, as a species, have a bad reputation. Movies such as Jaws and news headlines reporting violent shark attacks have not helped. While shark attacks do occur worldwide every year, they are perhaps not as prevalent as most people would believe. In fact, the majority of violence is directed in the other direction. Several species of shark are now on the endangered species list due to human fishing, while human populations continue to explode.
Number of Shark Attacks and Human Deaths Each Year
The International Shark Attack File (ISAF) is run by the Florida Museum of Natural History and the American Elasmobranch Society with shark data running back to the mid-1500s. The June 5, 2009 article “ISAF Statistics for the Top Ten Worldwide Locations with the Highest Shark Activity since 1990” shows several charts sorted by date and location. The year 2000 shows the highest number of shark attacks for this period with 79 attacks worldwide, 11 of which were fatal. Of these attacks, 37 occurred in Florida. In 2008 there were only 4 shark attack fatalities worldwide.
Comparing Deaths by Shark to Other Fatal Incidents
Death by shark is not a desirable way to go; however it isn’t a terribly likely way to die either. A person in Florida is more likely to be killed by an alligator than a shark, reports ISAF under “The Relative Risk of Shark Attacks to Humans”. From 1948 to 2005, 17 people in Florida died by the jaws of an alligator while 8 were killed by sharks. Being hit by lightning is even more likely with an average of 39.7 people being hit per year in coastal US states, based on data from 1957 to 2008. The average is 0.5 for sharks. From 1990 to 2007 there were 13,672 bicycle related fatalities in the US and only 11 shark fatalities. However, a movie about bike fatalities probably would not be as exciting as Jaws.
Which Sharks Attack and Why
ISAF reports under “How, When, and Where Sharks Attack” that the great white (Carcharodon carcharias), the tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) and the bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) are respsonsible for most worldwide attacks. In Florida attacks are mostly done by the blacktip (Carcharhinus limbatus) and the blacknose (Carcharhinus acronotus). Most shark attacks occur in the surf zone near a beach and are considered ‘hit and run’ attacks where the shark inflicts one bite then decides against finishing. Sharks may mistake humans for prey in the low visibility of the surf zone. Splashing and colorful swimsuits or shiny jewelry may also confuse sharks into mistaking a person with their normal prey. After the first bite many sharks realize that human meat is not what they are looking for and move on.
Man Attacks and Endangered Sharks
Although most shark attacks are likely due to a case of mistaken identity, humans are focused and calculating hunters. NewScentist reports in its February 18, 2008 article “Shark populations hit by demand for shark fin soup” that several species of shark have seen their populations drop by 95% since the 1970s. These include the tiger shark and bull shark with the great white listed as “vulnerable to extinction” by the IUCN. Hammerhead sharks are also on the endangered species list due to hunting for shark fin soup, a delicacy in many Asian countries.
Man Attacks Shark for Soup
Jessica Spiegel, the Senior Executive Editor for the Boston College and Comparative Law Review, writes in “Even Jaws Deserves to Keep His Fins: Outlawing Shark Finning Throughout Global Waters” that there are no regulations on hunting sharks in international waters. For soup, people will catch a shark, slice off the fins, and dump the body back in the ocean where the shark subsequently dies.
Saving Sharks From Attacks by Mankind
Spiegel also reports that only 15 of the 124 nations that hunt sharks have any kind of shark fishery management plan to regulate this finning process. It is important to stop eating shark fin soup and advocate for the protection of these majestic creatures. The Los Angeles Times reported on July 15, 2009 in “Shark attack victims defend animals on Capital Hill” that nine survivors of shark attacks lobbied Capitol Hill for the passage of the Shark Conservation Act of 2009. While this is an important step, much more needs to be done to protect sharks from man.
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