Therefore, sharks attack people – the expert: “a coincidence”

Three deadly shark attacks have occurred in Australia within five weeks.
The latest who died was a 17-year-old girl who lost an arm in the attack.
“It’s a statistical thing,” says Hajbiologist David C. Bernvi in ​​News Morning.

Haj attacks cause strong concern, but according to David C Bernvi, most people do not take intentionally. The sharks are always in the water, but the more people who are in their natural environment, the greater the risk of meetings. Bernvi points out that sharks often mistakes people for seals or other food when visibility is poor.

– Sharks rarely attack to eat us. They often let go when they realize their mistake, but the injuries can still be very serious, Bernvi says.

The reasons behind the attacks

According to him, the bull shark is one of the species that more often attacks people, as it defends its kids in fresh water areas. The white shark, on the other hand, often attacks curiosity or by confusing surfers with seals.

– But eighty percent actually survive a white shark attack, he explains.

Statistically, the risk of being affected is small for bathers, but significantly greater for surfers and harp fishermen who have been staying longer in shark -proof water.

– For a bathers in Australia, the risk of being attacked about one in four million is. For a surfer, it is one of 70,000, and for a harp fisherman one of 40,000, he says.

So you protect

The best safeguard is to know where the sharks are located and avoid these places, especially seal colonies or quickly deep water. Authorities try to reduce the number of attacks through surveillance and warnings, but sharks are an important part of the ecosystem and the risk can never disappear completely.

– You can never completely eliminate the risk, but by understanding the sharks’ behavior you can minimize it, Bernvi concludes.