Shark attacks doubled in 2023, finds study
Shark bites
Globally there has been a surge in deadly shark attacks, shows new international research. These attacks were especially recorded in isolated areas. Last year (in 2023), globally, there were 10 fatal shark attacks — twice as many as the previous year. Shockingly, four fatalities were in Australia.
'Unprovoked' attacks
The data showed that compared to people swimming, surfers were slightly more at risk — accounting for 42 per cent of the 69 so-called "unprovoked" shark bites worldwide. This is higher than the five-year average of 63 attacks.
In 2023, 22 per cent or 15 of these unprovoked incidents occurred in the land down under. However, 40 per cent of them ended in death.
Outside of Australia, two deadly shark attacks were recorded in the US. Furthermore, the Bahamas, Egypt, Mexico, and New Caledonia each recorded one fatality.
Reports of non-fatal shark bites came in from Costa Rica, Colombia, Brazil, New Seychelles, Turks and Caicos, Ecuador, South Africa, and the US.
According to researchers at the University of Florida’s International Shark Attack File, the study focused on bites which have occurred without human provocation and provides valuable insights into shark behaviour.
Unprovoked bites, as per the Florida Museum of Natural History's website, are "incidents in which a bite on a live human occurs in the shark's natural habitat with no human provocation of the shark."
Provoked bites
As per the Guardian, another 22 attacks were recorded where spearfishing was a common activity. However, these were left out of the study after being considered 'provoked'.
As per the museum, provoked bites "occur when a human initiates interaction with a shark in some way."
Gavin Naylor, director of shark research at the Florida Museum of Natural History, noted that while the number of bites aligned with long-term trends, the increase in fatalities was concerning.
"This is within the range of the normal number of bites, though the fatalities are a bit unnerving this year," he said.
Three of the fatal attacks in 2023 happened off South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula, known for its high population of white sharks and seals, their main prey.
According to Naylor, seals’ agility means only those behaving erratically are caught, similar to surfers. A bull shark also claimed the life of a teenage girl in Western Australia’s Swan River.
Despite these incidents, the number of fatal attacks in Australian waters in 2023 remained below the decade’s peak in 2020.
Researchers noted that most attacks were "test bites," where sharks mistake people for prey. While sharks usually swim away after such incidents, unusual cases involving repeated or particularly harsh bites have proven fatal. In conclusion, the shark attack file noted that the "risk of being bitten by a shark remains extremely low."
(With inputs from agencies)
