The rate of shark bites in Eastern USA and Southern Australia has been increasing in recent years, but the risk remains extremely low - roughly five-in-one million - according to new research.
Recently published that looked at 55 years of global data showed shark bites around the world are highly variable from year to year, but in some locations, the rates have increased in recent decades, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported on Friday.
"In highly populated regions-like the Eastern USA and Southern Australia-shark attack rates have doubled in the last 20 years, and while the rates remain relatively low, they should continue to be monitored," the report said.
Juliun Perkins was bitten by a shark on Sept. 8, 2018, while surfing outside of Pounders in Laie, Hawaii. Source: AAP
Steve Midway, assistant professor in the Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences at Louisiana State University and co-author of the paper, said Hawaii's bite rate was the highest of the seven global regions studied.
"It's not a new message in terms of the big picture: The risk is low and that's been known," he said. "What we did that was new and a little bit different was look at the place and time globally over more than 50 years," providing a historical context that might contribute to a better understanding of the risk.
The study's authors hope the information will temper the hysteria that often accompanies shark bites and "contribute to a more scientifically grounded discussion of sharks and their management and conservation," Midway said.
Juliun Perkins on Kailua beach with the surf board he was on during the attack in Laie. Source: AAP
Midway, who specialises in fish ecology, said he was intrigued by a spate of seven shark bites off North Carolina in the summer of 2015 and contacted George Burgess at the International Shark Attack File at the University of Florida in Gainesville, a recognised clearing house for shark bite reports worldwide.
The study, also co-authored by Tyler Wagner of the US Geological Survey, found the shark bite risk is slight, with far more people killed or injured by jellyfish, stingrays, sunburn, sand hole collapses, surf accidents and car crashes on the way to the beach.
The growing popularity of ocean recreation, especially surfing, is likely one reason for the increase in human-shark interactions and for more diverse areas not historically known for shark attacks emerging in the data.
It's also no coincidence the same regions with increasing shark attack rates also have high rates of technology use, including smartphones, email and the internet, which makes it easier to document and share news of shark attacks.
