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Huveneers C, Blount C, Bradshaw CJA, Butcher PA, Lincoln Smith MP, Macbeth WG, McPhee DP, Moltschaniwskyj N, Peddemors VM, Green M. Shifts in the incidence of shark bites and efficacy of beach-focussed mitigation in Australia. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 198:115855. [PMID: 38043202 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
Shark-human interactions are some of the most pervasive human-wildlife conflicts, and their frequencies are increasing globally. New South Wales (Australia) was the first to implement a broad-scale program of shark-bite mitigation in 1937 using shark nets, which expanded in the late 2010s to include non-lethal measures. Using 196 unprovoked shark-human interactions recorded in New South Wales since 1900, we show that bites shifted from being predominantly on swimmers to 79 % on surfers by the 1980s and increased 2-4-fold. We could not detect differences in the interaction rate at netted versus non-netted beaches since the 2000s, partly because of low incidence and high variance. Although shark-human interactions continued to occur at beaches with tagged-shark listening stations, there were no interactions while SMART drumlines and/or drones were deployed. Our effect-size analyses show that a small increase in the difference between mitigated and non-mitigated beaches could indicate reductions in shark-human interactions. Area-based protection alone is insufficient to reduce shark-human interactions, so we propose a new, globally transferable approach to minimise risk of shark bite more effectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlie Huveneers
- Southern Shark Ecology Group, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia 5001, Australia.
| | - Craig Blount
- Stantec Australia Pty Ltd., St Leonards, New South Wales 1590, Australia
| | - Corey J A Bradshaw
- Global Ecology | Partuyarta Ngadluku Wardli Kuu, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia 5001, Australia
| | - Paul A Butcher
- New South Wales Department of Primary Industries Fisheries, National Marine Science Centre, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales 2450, Australia; Southern Cross University, National Marine Science Centre, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales 2450, Australia
| | - Marcus P Lincoln Smith
- Stantec Australia Pty Ltd., St Leonards, New South Wales 1590, Australia; Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales 2109, Australia
| | - William G Macbeth
- Stantec Australia Pty Ltd., St Leonards, New South Wales 1590, Australia
| | - Daryl P McPhee
- Faculty of Society and Design, Bond University, Gold Coast, Queensland 4229, Australia
| | - Natalie Moltschaniwskyj
- New South Wales Department of Primary Industries Fisheries, Port Stephens Fisheries Institute, Nelson Bay, New South Wales 2315, Australia; School of Environmental Science, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales 2308, Australia
| | - Victor M Peddemors
- New South Wales Department of Primary Industries Fisheries, Sydney Institute of Marine Science, Mosman, New South Wales 2088, Australia
| | - Marcel Green
- New South Wales Department of Primary Industries Fisheries, Sydney Institute of Marine Science, Mosman, New South Wales 2088, Australia
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