Overall, though, the average number of attacks has steadily grown in recent decades, a reflection of the growing human population. And even with the blip last year, there have already been more shark attacks this decade than there were in the 1990s. A similar dip in attacks happened after the events of Sept. 11, 2001. All of that points to the recession as the best explanation for the latest statistics, said John Musick, a marine ecologist at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science in Gloucester Point. No matter what the cause, shark attacks remain quite rare, with an average of just five deaths each year. Most bites are mistakes from confused sharks, Musick said. Most victims are surfers (who tend to hit the water regardless of what the economy is doing). And even though attacks on humans get lots of flashy press, people are less likely to hear about the tens of millions of sharks, skates, and rays that get caught in fishing nets each year. "The big problem is not sharks eating people," Musick said. "It's people eating sharks." Related Links: Discovery Earth: Video, Expert Interviews, Photos and More |
advertisement
Put Discovery News on Your Site!
|
-
our sites
-
video
mobile
-
shop
-
stay connected
-
corporate
