Sharks !

Of all the ways to die, the one we fear most is to be taken by a shark !

This is probably irrational because the odds against that happening are huge. We stand a far greater chance of dieing in a car accident on the way to the beach, stepping on broken glass and severing an artery or being attacked by a dog than to fall victim to a shark.

Our fear of sharks is heightened by the media treatment of such an event. If a swimmer survives a shark attack this will certainly be front page on the national newspapers - and the lead item on TV news. It will far exceed the coverage of any mundane deaths from road trauma or other accidents.

The subject of sharks raises some interesting conjecture on the safety of Lake Illawarra. For years this lake has been closed to the sea and consequently fish and prawn stocks have declined.

We know that there are Stingrays present in great quantities, but there have been no reports of shark sightings - and the lake is widely used for prawning and fishing.

The opening of the lake in recent times - and the attack on a man snorkeling near the Windang bridge raise an interesting question.

The most likely attacker was a Bull shark - and these creatures are known to inhabit coastal waters with a preference for rivers and lake entrances. They are also capable of inhabiting fresh and brackish water, hence even after heavy rain they could remain in the lake.

The assumption that this lake provides a safe place for children to play in the water must now be questioned.

The chance of being the victim of a shark are longer than winning the lottery - but many people will not take the chance. This must be good news for the home swimming pool industry !