Shark Attacks Shouldn’t Surge With Great White Shark Population

Scientists are noting a surge in the great white shark population off the Eastern U.S. and Canada. A study published in PLOS ONE by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientists (Seasonal Distribution and Historic Trends in Abundance of White Sharks, Carcharodon carcharias, in the Western North Atlantic Ocean), claims that the population of the elusive shark breed has been rising since 2000.

“The species appears to be recovering,” said Cami McCandless, one of the authors of the study. “This tells us the management tools appear to be working.”

The growth in great white shark population could be a result of the greater availability of prey or conservation efforts, such as the act created in 1997 that prevents hunting of great whites.

“There’s this general pattern of where the white sharks are protected, they seem to recover,” said Tobey H. Curtis, another author of the study.

According to James Sulikowski, a professor of marine science at the University of New England, “You should be concerned for a good reason. We need these sharks in our waters.”

Great white sharks are apex predators and ecologically critical. Without the predators that sit atop the food chain, other species would grow out of control. Apex predators, like the great white sharks, are Mother Nature’s effort at population control.

Despite the necessity of sharks, people remain nervous about their presence in local waters.

However, although shark attacks do occur, they do not occur as often as people think.

According to the University of Florida, since 1916 there have only been 106 reportedly unprovoked great white shark attacks, with only 13 of them being fatal. That’s less than the amount of traffic deaths recorded for New York City in 2012.

A great deal of the notorious reputation that follows great white sharks comes from the 1975 movie, Jaws. The movie circulated around a vicious shark that was big enough, and powerful enough, to chomp down on a boat.

Where it’s not recommended that beach-goers jump into shark-infested waters and immediately try to give the first great white shark they see a big hug, fear is also discouraged.

Great white sharks are not invincible. If someone is attacked by one, there are ways to fight back enough to get away.

The important thing to remember as the population of great white sharks rises is that fear is not necessary, respect is. Most shark attacks only happen if provoked.

[ Image courtesy of Denis Scott/Corbis ]