Tragedies in the Seychelles...

Firstly, let me say that any time there is a loss of life, it is important to approach an issue with empathy and caution. The last thing that I intend to do is disrespect or dishonour the two men who were killed in the Seychelles in the last month.

With this said, I believe it is still important to address the outcome of the situation and what is currently happening in the aftermath of the attacks.

When I first read the story of the most recent attack through the French AFP, I noted right off the bat that the article misquoted shark attacks statistics which are collected and disseminated by the International Shark Attack File through the Florida Museum of Natural History. Specifically, it cited 79 fatal attacks in 2010 with a 25% increase in fatal attacks since 2009. The mistake here is that there were 79 attacks IN TOTAL in 2010 with only 6 fatalities, a 0% increase in fatalities from 2009. I quickly alerted the Edmonton Journal about this mistake, and to their credit they sent a note to AFP. About 2 hours later an updated story was posted on the internet.

This event is simply one incident in what is proving to be an unfortunate chain reaction following the attacks. Specifically, the Seychelles has quickly become something like Amity during the summer out of the fictional pages form Jaws. And, equally horrifying is that the Seychelles, in a move that appears to be sanctioned by the Seychelles Tourism Board (like in Jaws).

Unfortunately the sharks that the local fishermen will be hauling in as they attempt to locate the supposed "rough shark" that is foreign to the waters around Seychelles. Anyone who knows anything about sharks knows that this conception of a man-eater is not true, and that sharks, as ocean wanderers, will follow their food. Take for instance the Great White Shark recently caught in the fishing weir off of Canada's east coast; with global climate change and altered circulation patterns, expect sharks to travel differently more frequently.

This reaction is a kin to sanctioning a slaughter of many bears simply because one bear attacked one human. It just does not make any sense. Perhaps the best response would be to keep swimmers out of the ocean for a couple of weeks, monitor the beaches, and see if this shark moves on? Or, maybe examine the human causes for why the shark might now be attracted to this area?

Just thoughts.

Once again, my deepest sympathy for the families of the deceased. I just hope that reason will prevail in this situation and future shark human-shark interactions.

For more see:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14600727

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14552788

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/aug/16/seychelles-shark-attack-honeymoon

http://news.yahoo.com/seychelles-shark-attack-carolina-locals-worried-175200163.html
 
http://abcnews.go.com/News/shark-attack-creates-honeymoon-horror-british-couple/story?id=14324504