Shark nets - and shark attacks !

Thirty years ago the death of a swimmer killed by a shark would ensure banner headlines in every newspaper in Australia.   Today, this would be reported on a lesser page because shark attacks have become more common - and are less newsworthy.

It is still relatively unusual for a person to be killed by a shark, but the incidence of sharks having a " taste " seems to occur on an almost daily basis.  On Wednesday, a swimmer suffered shark bite injuries off Redhead beach near Newcastle, and yesterday another needed hospital attention in the north-west of Western Australia.   The list seems endless.

Australia has an ever growing population and there are more of us in the water each summer.  Now the effectiveness of shark nets off our beaches - which have been in place since 1937 - is being questioned.  Proponents point out that there has only been a single shark attack fatality at a netted beach in all that time, but those opposed claim the nets kill a huge toll of dolphins, turtles and other passive sea creatures - and call for them to be removed.

If nothing else, nets bring " psychological comfort " to beachgoers and those who tend the nets regularly remove the bodies of entangled sharks which might otherwise have contemplated giving a passing swimmer a " nibble ".

The statistician gives comfort with the revelation that we are much more likely to die of a bee sting - or being struck by lightning - than in a shark attack, and we can further reduce those odds by using a little common sense.   It is certainly unwise to swim after dark - when the fish are most active at finding their meals - and there seems to be an added danger in the early morning and later afternoon periods, specially on overcast days.

No doubt the fate of the shark nets will be decided by political factors.   Getting rid of them will save a lot of money - and that is always a big incentive for a political decision, but that decision will be weighed against political backlash.

It would be a good idea to make a lot of noise and let your preference be known.

And it would be a good idea - either way - to use a little common sense about the time you go for a swim - and remember that the old adage about " safety in numbers " holds true.   

Sharks rarely seem to trouble groups of people.  The lone swimmer is most at risk !