sharks eat surfer

[jlayman800]

We become prey if we act like prey.

I feel really bad for the surfer, Brad, and his family. I can't help but note that he went down fighting. If I'm eaten by a shark doing the sport I love, I hope I at least get a poke or two at him before he finishes me off. As has been pointed out, its a risk we choose to take when we go into the sharks world.

 

[diveaussie]

No, there is no prof that the sharks will want to hunt humans, as a metter of fack I dont think humans taste to good to sharks thats why there are "left overs" from human attacks. Like I said, the only case I know of where sharks were hunting humans is in NJ many years ago, it was a very hot season.
The reason Australia wants to destroy the sharks has to do with economics. As long as tourists think there are man killers in the water, business is down. The best way to reasure tourists (income) is to kill a few sharks.

To say that we in Australia want to destroy sharks for pure economic reasons is absolutely wrong!. Tourists come here knowing there are sharks, spiders whatever.. Does that mean for example that we don't go to Canada because there are grizzly bears and we might be eaten???? No. ( but perhaps the Canadian government better destroy them in case the economic situation turns nasty ) What??? There are many sharks in Australia, particularly on the South Australian and West Coast areas but honestly... do you think our government loses money because people are scared of sharks and decide not to spend money here?? The majority of Aussies are against killing any shark after a fatal attack, which mind you doesn't occur as often as people think when you compare the amount of swimmers/divers etc in the water every year. Nothing personal but if you talk to Australians you will probably find we are all for protecting these amazing creatures of the sea.

 

[BacardiSpice]

In 1984, the New South Wales government became the first in the world to legislate to protect a shark when it declared grey nurse sharks a protected species.

The Great White Shark is protected in Australian waters under Commonwealth and some state legislation (NSW again led the way when it passed legislation protecting the species in January 1997 - I know, because I had lobbied for this action at political conventions for some time).

Australia is a signatory to the International Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks , and on 16 April 2004 endorsed an Australian 'Shark-plan' aimed at introducing a raft of measures for the conservation of sharks. Shark finning is banned in Oz waters. Nine shark species (including the Great White) are protected.

You can read more about Australia's Shark-plan here:
http://www.affa.gov.au/content/output.cfm?ObjectID=D2C48F86-BA1A-11A1-A2200060B0A00884

It's not perfect, and it's not enough. And there are still frothing-at-the mouth shark haters like Hislop here. But the attitude represented in this article does not reflect the evolving attitude of Australians to Great White Sharks. When one man was taken a few years ago, his grieving family specifically requested that the shark not be hunted and killed - they believed that as a man who knew and loved the sea, he would not want a shark killed for doing what came to it naturally. Among those I know - divers and non-divers alike - there is sorrow when a person is taken by a shark, but also a recognition that there are certain risk that one takes when one leaves the shore.

 

[farrakhan]

This is the reason I dislike (respect) Sharks. It's their nature to attack! They are predators and that's what they do. The minute your in their territory you become prey!

Exactly when your in THEIR territory. We have the choice to stay out of their territory if we see fit. When the idiots with powerheads and guns go in killing the sharks have no chance. It is not in a sharks nature to attack. They eat. Is a human attacking when we pull up to a fast food outlet. No we are just eating. Educate yourself about sharks before making idiotic assumptions. There is nothing more beautiful then swimming next to grey nurse sharks, or whale sharks, or basking sharks, or whaler sharks, or.......................

 

[liberato]

Sharkcamo for surfboards.
Shark Shield electrical field generator.

 

[STOGEY]

'If they've tasted human blood, then they'll remain a problem until we've tracked them down,'

What a crock of s**t. I hate the way the media portrays any shark attack, yes it is tragic but people need to realise that we are in their environment and we need to assume the risks involved.

My condolences to the victims family.

I wonder if you'd say the sam thing if a victim was one of your family or friends.

 

[farrakhan]

I wonder if you'd say the sam thing if a victim was one of your family or friends.

I would. It's a tragedy and my prayers and thoughts go out to the family, but this isn't the first (or last) time someone will be taken by a shark in Australia. In life we all accept certain risks in everything we do. When diving, surfing, or snorkelling in the waters around Australia we accept the risk (however minimal) that we are entering a sharks territory. You really need to be in Australia to see how the media covered this case. In an unrelated shark sighting off the coast of Adelaide the local paper read "Monster Shark terrorizing Adelaide Coast" This shark did nothing out of the ordinary in the routine of a shark, but because of the media it is inevitable that some dickhead will be out there trying to kill this beautiful creature. Back to the W.A. surfer, After this particular person was taken you would think surfers would stay away from the beach for a while, but no, the very next day there were surfers out at this beach. Now if one of them was taken who's fault is it really.

To the point, if you enter the water and are taken by a shark it is your fault. No if's, ands, or buts about it. Do we run through the African Savannah and wonder why we are chased by Lions. Do we swim in the Everglades and wonder why we are taken by alligators, do we roll in honey and wonder why we are chased by bears. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

So why the surprise and anger when we dress up as shark food, and surf, or dive, or spearfish in areas where we know there are sharks.

Being in South Australia this particularily hits home for me. I've seen more dead sharks (because of media sensationalism) then live ones, and that's an absolute travesty.

This surfers family realized it wasn't the sharks fault and requested the shark(s) not be killed but still someone (ignorantly) made the call that if any shark was sighted it should be killed.

 

[mempilot]

The sad reality is that you can't blame a wild animal for doing what it does, but you can blame a human for not understanding the environment they choose to participate in. I'm sure this person understood the risks. Why have a knee jerk reaction? This is an accident for the human and nature doing what it does.

 

[Squalus]

The sad reality is that you can't blame a wild animal for doing what it does, but you can blame a human for not understanding the environment they choose to participate in. I'm sure this person understood the risks. Why have a knee jerk reaction? This is an accident for the human and nature doing what it does.

I agree, nature at it's best......Circle of life, natural selection and, survival of the fittest.

 

[SeanQ]

My condolences to the family and friends who have to deal with the sudden loss.

I am glad they have requested the sharks to be unharmed. How can anyone expect to identify the shark that made the kill? How many sharks will have to die before a bunch of senseless yahoos feel they have vengence?