Sunday, September 25, 2005

More shark attacks



Another man was attacked by a shark in South Australian waters today. It seems to have become an epidemic, fulfilling the overseas fears about the dangerous nature of this country. Of course it is not a dangerous country. The sea is inimical everywhere - and sharks do have a certain right of way. This attack was off the beautiful wilderness island, Kangaroo Island, which one can see from the cliffs here on a clear day. The last attack was not too bad, insofar as the man has only abrasions. It is, however, the third attack in South Australian waters in a month - and it is only early spring.
Great White sharks are protected and the family of the young man killed by the shark last month has been adamant that there should be no cull, let alone retribution.
I'd say that it is up to the scientists to establish why there seems to be an increase in attacks on humans, albeit that in the first case the diver was in schnapper grounds and in the second, the surfer was in seal territory. But, since it is purportedly know that humans are not tasty to sharks, not sufficiently oily and nutritious, there are all sorts of added environmental possibilities for why sharks are attacking more frequently - food sources decreased from over-fishing, pollution in the sea making the sharks manic... Although way down here at the bottom of the world, we are reputed to have the most pristine waters. But currents are many and pollution is global. So who knows? Not I.

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