Should killer sharks be left alone?

[Robert G]

In shallow waters on Australia's east coast a young woman swimmer recently had her arms bitten/torn off by a shark, and she later died. Fortunately such incidents are rare - about one per year - but yet again there was talk of hunting down the individual shark responsible and, presumably, killing it.

I ask: What is the point? And how will the hunters know they've found the killer?

While I have sympathy for the victim and her family and friends, the shark is surely innocent of any crime. It did what comes naturally in its own natural habitat, and Australians have had at least 50 years of bitter experience now to learn this fact. Although the risk is slight, it is foolhardy for humans to play in the sharks' habitat.

[charmingeh]

I agree.

[Drusilla]

I agree. Sharks do not specifically target humans and often mistake the movement of people on lilo's for seals. If people want to swim in safety, they should swim in patrolled areas with shark nets, or a swimming pool. If people want the freedom to swim elsewhere, they ought to accept the risks, unpleasant as they may be. Still, its a sad tale about the young woman.

[denisegordon]

Quite agree. I read a while ago that more people are killed by donkeys than sharks, and we don't see protests outside donkey sanctuaries.

[woofgang]

of course it is!!

[snook]

It's true, the sharks were there first, it's their playground not ours, and if we want to join in their games we have to accept that they play very, very rough. But to blame them is just daft. Nowadays, it's well known that it's very dangerous to swim in shark-infested waters, so, sad as it is for the girl and her family, we need to learn from it and leave them alone.

[Lonnie]

Just want to sa,. I agree totally with all the above posts.

[joko]

when sharks start swimming through our living rooms then you can kill them - until then, keep out of theirs

[brachiopod]

I must admit, I found it ironic that the incident occurred off Amity Point !! (It was even quoted as Amity Beach in some sources - but I think that was wishful thinking by the press.)

[Dolly1308]

Hi brachiopod Amity point is on a beautiful island just off the coast of Queensland (Stradbroke Island ) and it does have a very beautiful Beach .Top spot with tourists as well as locals .Yes it was a tragedy abuot the young woman but we can't put Shark nets up because the Dolphins swim in those waters and get caught in the nets and die . Not sure what I think about hunting the shark ,it's a predator and that's what they do attack people in the water .

[delilahcat]

Just to say I completely agree with everyone else. Great point made by joko!

[Robert G]

Thanks, everyone. It's nice to know others share my view on this.

[lepers]

as it is quite right that sharks generally don't intentionally attack humans, there are on occasion sharks that have gone 'rogue' and do indeed start attacking humans on purpose.

[Robert G]

A fair point, leper, but the sea is still their natural habitat, and not that of the human species. Humans have evolved an intelligence to understand this and, generally, have learned to respect the natural behaviour of other species on this planet which we all share.

[lepers]

oh yeah i know that, n i hate the sea just because of sharks lol. but when animals become a definite danger, like violent dogs, if they are intentionally going after people then maybe somehting should be done. not quite sure how u get the right shark, i'll leave that to all the Quint's out there. but to summarise: if they're in the sea leave them there, but if they're just getting a bit silly then something should be done.

[joko]

"getting a bit silly" ??

sharks attack whatever is in the water in front of them!

That's what they do! They are hungry and need to eat - thats it!

There is no 'targetting humans' specifically - most sharks have probably never even seen a human, and if they have wouldn't distinguish it from any other thing in the water.

To think they may have some kind of vendetta is ridiculous!

[lepers]

eeerrrr . . . ure wrong! yes sharks are eating and killing machines, but to say they kill whatever is in front of them is just wrong!

and sharks have been known to repeatedly target humans and not necessarily in order to feed.

[Goodsoulette]

I see your point but I dont know which side to fall on. this girl however was swimming in murky water after a storm in a bull shark breeding ground. Not deserved but dangerous and possibly ignorant. I think the fear is about sharks finding humans easy picking and learning to attack us. There was a case many years ago in america of a shark swimming up an inlet and repeatedly targetting humans, a la jaws " the rogue shark". When they found it and killed it there were the remains of at least 5 different people inside and 17 were known to go missing.

Scary stuff but I do agree that we must watch ourselves in unnatural habitats. I will not be swimming in Queensland thats for "shore"

[joko]

lepers - you are implying they have some kind of hatred for humans and attack out of anger towards us....they don't.

they target humans because they are there. do you think they would bypass a seal or walrus or large fish or whatever just to have a go at a nasty old human?

they go where there is a supply of meat in the water and beaches tend to supply that, whether with seals or humans. They know that things that are moving, like ships and splashing, usually means life - and therefore food

generally sharks don't even like the taste of human meat - they don't expect our 'flavour', they often bite, taste and leave.

whilst i am sorry for the girl and her family, quite simply, you go in the water and that's the risk you take - your choice.

[brooklyn77]

Wanted to add to this...not like it needs it..but what the heck!
Could not agree more with most of the posts. It is stupid to suggest sharks attack humans specifically.

As a human, would you go hunting for food through hell and high water just to get a chicken to eat? Or would you pop to the supermarket because you know where it is, its easy to get to and there is a massive supply? You go for the easy option generally. Thats what these 'rouge' sharks are doing.

Anyway. Its true..Sharks were there before us and we are in 'their playground' as someone said. So if we get hurt..its our fault, not theirs. So revenge against 'killer' sharks is just barbaric, and makes us no better than any other 'wild' animal on this planet.

Anyway. People say that humans are so intelligent and so far advanced...yeah, so far advanced we are killing wild habitats all over the world, animals are dying out, we are choking the planet to death and we kill each other for religion and to prevent each other nuking each other. Why? At least wild animals kill for food...not because they are angry with each other..and before anyone corrects me saying " yeah but animals kill over territory..." well they do which is why humans should be above that. But because we are not above that...it makes us on a par with wild animals. We dont deserve this planet. Did anyone know it will only cost �2 Million to double the size of the Borneo rain forest and save the orangutangs??? and other bio diversity issues, but their government cant afford it...�2 Million to the west is peanuts..why are we not doing more in the west to help the world....we are an awful species...we are parasites...but I like me, and I do my best.

[joko]

Hear, hear, well said brooklyn!

And I was just saying the same thing - about us being parasites - myself only the other day on this thread -

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/History-and-Myths/Question186192.html