And arguably even more significant in raising awareness of sharks swimming close to shore, has been the recent spate of shark attack fatalities.
Dr Phoebe Meagher, of the Australian Shark Attack File, says while last year’s fatalities were high, it is tricky to explain why without speculating, and instead puts it down to terrible luck.
She said: “Whether or not an injury is fatal may not have anything to do with the number of sharks or where they are, but perhaps more to do with factors such as how long it took the victim to get into shore, whether the beach was patrolled or had easy access for paramedics.
Professor Brown agrees and suggests countries such as Australia should invest more into studying sharks rather than erecting shark nets and Shark Management Alert in Real Time (SMART) drum-lines he claims are ineffective.
