*Ø* Shark deaths: perspective please

The recent death by shark attack of a surfer in Western Australia roused a great deal of emotional debate, as it always does when such a tragedy happens.

Sharks were in the news, and certainly not in a good light. Last week there were tough guys on boats with rifles, and the federal government is talking drum lines and shark nets at huge expense. Memo to non-target species, such as dolphins, whales and dugongs: Watch out!

Now, I'm the first person to shudder at the thought of sharks. I confess that when I swim in salt water I have sharks somewhere in the back of my mind. I find them extremely scary, and I think most people do. And I am in favour of placement of shark nets at popular beaches, which is a practice we have had in Australia for perhaps 70 or 80 years.

But let's get this in perspective:

The chances of being killed by a shark in Australia are less than being killed by lightning strike, dog bite, or bee sting. Far less than death by gun shot, plane crash or industrial accident.

It has become a political issue because of the big bucks and big corporations involved in the very large tourism industry. Caught in the middle are numerous species of animal that are either endangered or vulnerable to species extinction. Let's not forget the huge role large creatures play in any ecosystem.

"Contrary to their reputation, sharks are an increasingly threatened group of animals. Sitting at the top of the food chain, many shark species are not used to being the victim of other predators. Over the millions of years they have swum the oceans, sharks have evolved reproductive strategies that suit animals that would naturally only ever die of old age. ... they reach sexual maturity late in life, produce few young and only after long gestation periods. This means they are not easily able to replenish their numbers when their mortality rate increases and are extremely vulnerable to over-fishing.

"Shark over-fishing is a serious global problem, as species struggle to cope with the increasing demands, for example for fish and chips in the west and for shark fin soup in Asian cuisine. Many shark species are suffering population crashes and local extinctions are becoming common."
Endangered Australian sharks

Endangered sharks, elsewhere