A great white shark. Rajat Kreation / Adobe Stock
The number of accidents fell overall last year, but is experiencing peaks in some regions.
The number of shark attacks on humans globally decreased in 2022, but is experiencing “worrying spikes” in some regions, according to an international registry kept by researchers at the University of Florida (United States). Last year, they recorded 57 such accidents, most of which occurred in the United States and Australia. Five of these attacks were fatal, compared to nine in 2021 and ten the previous year.
The researchers only take into account so-called “unprovoked” attacks in the register, i.e. attacks that cannot be attributed to human stimuli, such as the presence of fishing lines thrown in the direct vicinity of the accident or of fish used as bait by spearfishers. « Unprovoked bites tell us a lot more about shark biology and behavior »justifies Gavin Naylor, director of the Florida Museum of Natural History, and author of an article on the data of 2022.
Read alsoTeenage girl killed by shark in Australia
Since 2013, there have been an average of 74 attacks per year. According to Gavin Naylor, the drop in the number of bites last year could be explained by the continuing decline in shark populations. Many species are threatened with extinction and listed on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). They are therefore protected.
The measures taken locally by the authorities to prevent injuries and deaths would also contribute to this positive balance. In high-risk areas, swimming is often prohibited (or formally discouraged) at certain times and on certain beaches. The capture and elimination of sharks have also been implemented, in Reunion for example, but their effectiveness has not been demonstrated.
Since a peak of 98 attacks worldwide in 2015, the annual number of accidents appears to be falling. But Claude Maillaud, associate researcher at the University of New Caledonia, specialist in dangerous marine fauna in Oceania, who contributes to the international register, insists a lot on the fact that the figures can vary greatly from one year to another. ” In New Caledonia, which has among the highest number of attacks per capita in the world, there were no accidents last yearhe explains. However, we have already recorded two attacks since 1is January ».
The United States records the highest number of bites, « Florida alone has more than the rest of the world », says Gavin Naylor. None of the 16 attacks recorded in this state were fatal, but two of them – presumably due to bull sharks – caused amputations. Cases have also been documented off the coasts of Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Thailand and Brazil. Two deaths were deplored in the Red Sea, in Egypt.
Locally, scientists are reporting serial attacks that have caused concern. New York had a record eight crashes in 2022 (six confirmed). This wave of bites could be due to young bull sharks, which take refuge and feed in the bay between Long Island and Fire Island. « To understand these phenomena, it is necessary to reason on very small scales.emphasizes Claude Maillaud, because the situations vary a lot according to the zones. »
While around 30 species of sharks are known to be dangerous to humans, great white sharks, tiger sharks and bull sharks are responsible for the most serious attacks. « For these very large opportunistic fish, humans can be accidental preyunderlines the researcher. In risk areas, it is advisable not to swim alone, at dusk or dawn, as well as in murky water. Unfortunately, experience shows that this is not a guarantee. »
SEE ALSO – Var: a blue shark spotted near Hyères