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ABC News
01-07-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Fatal shark attacks make news, but 'dozens' of bites are not reported
Shark attack survivors say a better system for reporting and tracking close calls is needed, as many potentially deadly encounters are not being recorded. The call comes as a 16-year-old boy remains in a serious condition in the Gold Coast University Hospital after he was mauled by what was believed to be a two-metre-long bull shark at Cabarita, on the New South Wales far north coast on Sunday. Gold Coast-based shark researcher Dr Daryl McPhee said attacks were more frequent than people realised, because minor incidents were often not reported. Mauling survivor Dave Pearson encouraged more surfers to report minor run-ins, to create a more accurate understanding of shark behaviour. Authorities conceded that without diligent reporting of shark encounters, there was no way of knowing how often attacks occurred. Dr McPhee, who is an associate professor of environmental science and Bond University, said he knew of minor attacks that went unrecorded. "You can never work out exactly how many, because by definition they are unreported, but it certainly does occur," he said. "They have happened in the ocean from divers poking or prodding something they shouldn't have poked or prodded, and then getting nipped and being a bit embarrassed by it." A surfer was bitten in the Gold Coast's Tallebudgera Creek in September last year and took himself to hospital with arm injuries. According to Queensland Health, five people have been treated for shark bites at Gold Coast hospitals in the past five years, but only two of them arrived by ambulance. In that time, only three incidents across the region — including the deadly 2020 attacks at Greenmount and Kingscliff, as well as the recent close call at Cabarita — made headlines. The Australian Shark-Incident Database (ASID) is the most comprehensive source of shark-bite information, and includes more than 1,200 cases dating back to 1791. The database is run by the Taronga Conservation Society with Flinders University and the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries. For an incident to be included in ASID, there must be an attempt by the shark to bite a person either in the water or on a small non-motorised craft like a surfboard or kayak. Analysis of the data found the number of bites in Australia each year more than doubled between 2000 and 2020. Marine biologist and ASID project lead Madeline Thiele said the leading hypothesis was that the increase was driven by human population growth, along with the popularity of surfing and diving. Others believed the growth in shark numbers was to blame. Some shark-attack victims said the official statistics failed to capture incidents where surfers were knocked off their boards or chased out of the ocean. While such cases did not involve bites, survivors said the terrifying encounters should be recorded so authorities have a better understanding of shark behaviour. Dave Pearson almost lost his arm to a bull shark 14 years ago at Crowdy Head, about an hour south of Port Macquarie. He said his attack was almost identical to the one at Cabarita on Sunday. Then aged 48, Mr Pearson was knocked off his surfboard close to shore, pulled under by his arm, and then followed by the shark after the encounter. The quick thinking of other surfers who came to his aid and applied a tourniquet saved his arm. He never goes to the beach without a first aid kit and hands out tourniquets to other surfers at his local break. To help process the trauma, he founded Bite Club, a support network of shark attack survivors that now has 500 members worldwide. They share a close bond and keep in touch regularly. Mr Pearson said surfers and ocean swimmers were "certainly reporting a lot more sharks than we used to see". But, he said, there were many reasons why surfers chose not to report coming face-to-face with sharks, including a desire to not scare others, or harm tourism in their town. For a lot of people, however, the only way they could get back in the ocean was to forget the experience and pretend it never happened, he said. "But people need to be made aware of the amount of sharks out there so we can prepare for it."
Forbes
02-06-2025
- Health
- Forbes
Experts Question Queensland's New Shark Control Strategy
The Queensland government has identified potential locations for its expanded shark control program, ... More based on the presence of Surf Life Saving Queensland and data reflecting beach use. Queensland's Shark Control Program is about to undergo its most significant expansion in decades, with the state government pledging nearly $90 million to install new shark nets, increase the number of drumlines and broaden the reach of drone patrols along the coastline. The move comes amid growing public concern about unprovoked shark bites, especially during peak swimming seasons. 'Today's announcement is big and bold, it puts swimmer safety first,' Minister for Primary Industries Tony Perrett said. 'I have said time and time again, the best science must inform our actions when it comes to [the Department of Agriculture and] However, the plan has sparked immediate backlash from scientists, conservationists and environmental law experts, who say the expansion could do more harm than good to both marine life and public safety. Dr Daryl McPhee, an Associate Professor of Environmental Science at Bond University and one of the country's foremost experts on shark-human interactions, voiced skepticism about the effectiveness of the program during an interview on 4BC Breakfast: 'Regardless of how much the government spends and what it does, there are still likely to be unprovoked shark bites in Queensland waters. […] We have a lot of sharks and a lot of people going in the water.' Shark nets and drumlines have been used in Queensland since the 1960s, with the aim of the nets being to reduce the local population of large, potentially dangerous sharks (primarily tiger sharks and bull sharks) in areas popular with swimmers and surfers. Yet the effectiveness of these methods has been repeatedly questioned. While nets and drumlines may give beachgoers a sense of security, there is limited scientific evidence showing they reduce the overall risk of shark bites. In fact, many shark incidents in Australia have happened at netted beaches. And Sea Shepherd has warned that the planned upgrades could breach national environmental protections. 'Under Section 43B(3) of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, any enlargement or intensification of the Queensland Shark Control Program could be deemed illegal,' Sea Shepard Australia's Jonathan Clark said. This is because current methods like gill nets and baited drumlines often catch more than just the targeted sharks. Non-target species such as dolphins, turtles, rays and even endangered sharks frequently get entangled or killed by these devices. 'These lethal methods don't protect people … Minister Perrett is ignoring the science, legal risks, and public safety, while intensifying a program that should have been phased out years ago. We need to have the shark nets removed, the drumlines ultimately have to go, and we have to get into the modern ideas of using that technology such as drones, shark barriers, and really good public education.' The government is expanding the shark control program in a bid to protect swimmers and uphold ... More Queensland's reputation as a tourism destination. The state government has defended its investment, arguing that the expansion is about using 'every available tool' to keep the public safe. But critics argue that such measures divert attention and resources from alternative strategies that could be more effective and environmentally responsible. Modern drone patrols have been one of the more promising tools added in recent years. Drones allow lifeguards to scan for sharks in real time, alerting people on the beach or in the water if a large animal is detected. However, even drones have limitations. Cloudy skies, rough surf and limited battery life can all reduce their effectiveness. And like any surveillance technology, they rely heavily on well-trained operators and rapid response protocols. Education campaigns, personal shark deterrents like electric anklets and improved signage at high-risk beaches are also often pointed to as lower-impact ways to manage human-shark interactions. The tension between public safety and environmental conservation is not unique to Queensland, but the scale of the planned investment and the potential for legal conflict makes this a notable strike agaisnst shark conservation in the country. If Sea Shepherd goes ahead and sues the state for environmental breaches (which it says isn't out of the question), Queensland may find itself forced to scale back or alter its strategy to comply with national law. This situation is just the latest example of just how complex and contentious shark control has become in an era where both beach safety and biodiversity are high public priorities. In the end, the key question remains: will nearly $90 million worth of nets, drumlines and drones actually make Queensland's waters safer? Or are we spending millions on an illusion of control in a wild ocean we don't fully understand? While public demand for visible shark control measures is understandable, science suggests that no approach will fully eliminate risk. As Dr McPhee pointed out, 'We have a lot of sharks and a lot of people going in the water.' Perhaps the most realistic strategy moving forward is one that accepts some level of risk, prioritizes coexistence and focuses on reducing harm to people and the ocean as a whole.
