Shark attacks: expert advice for coexistence in New Zealand waters this summer

“It’s just tragic. It is the worst thing that can happen to a family, a person or a community,” said shark expert Dr. Riley Elliott.

“Although shark attacks are statistically unlikely, they are always tragic and should not be undermined.”

Kahukore-Dixon’s death was different from other recent fatal attacks that have occurred in the remote Chatham Islands, where there is a healthy seal population and, consequently, white seals.

“There is a big difference between a commercial diver working in a place like the Chathams and the average New Zealander swimming in Whangamatā. Most popular swimming beaches do not have seal colonies or great white seals,” Elliott said.

“To cut a long story short: people in these environments are not naive. They are aware of the risks and do everything they can to mitigate them, but it’s a wild environment and you can’t control everything. You have to praise those who work in such conditions.”

A Tale of Shark Death

The country’s earliest documented death occurred in 1852, when a young musician, John Balmer, was attacked by a great white shark in Wellington Harbor while swimming about 180m from shore.

In Dunedin, a memorial plaque has been erected in St Clair by a shark attack survivor, dedicated to those “captured by the great white shark on our shores” during a series of attacks in the 1960s.

Between 1964 and 1971, five shark attacks were recorded in the region, three of which were fatal.

The first occurred on February 5, 1964, when Les Jordan was killed in a great white shark attack on St. Clair Beach.

Three years later, on March 9, 1967, Bill Black was fatally attacked on St Kilda Beach.

The following year, on September 15, 1968, Graham Hitt was killed at Aramoana.

A year later, Gary Barton survived a shark attack on St. Clair Beach in 1969, and Barry Watkins, who donated the plaque, also survived after being bitten while surfing on St. Clair in 1971.

Watkins has since spoken about the psychological and physical scars the experience left behind.

His leg still hurts occasionally and the attack is forever etched in his memory. While he used to have nightmares about it, he’s now in a pretty good mood about the whole thing.

“I actually learned to love the creature and to be very interested in what they become and where they are,” he told the Otago Daily Times in 2021.

In response to the attacks, shark nets were set up on some local beaches. However, the measures were criticized for their impact on the environment, as they often trapped other marine animals without definitively preventing further shark attacks.

Understanding an Apex Predator

The Dunedin attacks stand out in New Zealand’s otherwise rare history of shark incidents.

Elliott has dedicated over a decade to studying these apex predators.

His work focuses on understanding shark behavior and migration and how these impact conservation and interactions with humans.

Elliot’s scientific career began with the study of shark finning, particularly its impact on blue sharks, a species particularly targeted in the fin trade and successfully banned in 2014.

Since then, his research has expanded to include great white sharks.

“Up in the north-east of the North Island we have been studying the development of juvenile great white sharks in the Bay of Plenty. This summer we are expanding this research to Stewart Island by tagging and collecting genetic samples from the predominantly adult population that migrates there annually. It is generally assumed that these are the mothers and fathers of the young animals we see further north.”

While estimating shark populations is difficult due to limited research, comparisons with Australian data provide some context.

New Zealand is part of the same Southwest Pacific population as Australia. Estimates suggest that there are 3,000 to 5,000 great white sharks in the region – but only a few hundred of them are capable of breeding.

“This is a small genetic pool, which is concerning.

“At a recent conference in Port Lincoln, geneticists stressed that 200 breeding animals is not enough for a healthy population,” said Elliott.

“Sharks take a long time to reach maturity and 70% of the world’s large shark populations have been killed in the last 50 years. While conservation measures have allowed populations to stabilize, we must monitor their size, migration and interactions with people and fisheries to ensure their survival.”

The sharks swimmers are most likely to encounter in New Zealand waters during the summer months are bronze whalers, Elliott said.

“These are coastal sharks that school often and behave like dogs, learning quickly and targeting small prey such as fish and stingrays. They don’t target seals or large prey like us,” he said.

“However, problems can arise when their food sources overlap with human activities, particularly in murky water or at dawn and dusk.”

Improper disposal of fish waste is a major factor in shark-human interactions, he said.

“When people clean fish and throw the frames into the water, sharks learn to associate that sound with food.

“It’s like feeding a dog under the dinner table; One day a hand falls to the ground and someone gets bitten.”

Best advice?

“Avoid throwing fish waste where people swim. Either donate fish heads to programs like LegaSea’s fish head initiatives, bury them in the garden or dispose of them in deeper waters,” he said.

“We’re asking the sharks to make a mistake when we create these conditions.”

Human activities such as coastal development and pollution have had significant impacts on shark populations, including sedimentation from activities such as mining, Elliott said.

“It disrupts the food chain and affects everything from shellfish to top predators like sharks.”

In some cases, these disruptions have led to an increase in shark attacks.

“In New Caledonia, sediment deposition from mining coupled with the disposal of fish waste resulted in murky waters,” he said.

“Sharks became increasingly competitive for waste and when tourists jumped in after Covid restrictions were lifted, incidents occurred. Our actions can literally bite us.”

Elliott said there are about six fatal shark attacks a year worldwide – which is “statistically insignificant” considering the billions of people who enter the water each year, he said.

Still, each incident was a tragedy.

“They are devastating to families and communities. However, it is important to remember that the sea is a wild environment. Just as mountaineers are exposed to avalanches, entering the ocean also carries risks.”

In New Zealand, drowning is a much greater threat. Around 100 people drown every year.

“We could see one or two shark attacks every decade. Education and understanding are the best tools to reduce fear and negative interactions.”

When it comes to living with sharks, respect for their environment is crucial.

“If you want to be safe in the sea, swim between the flags. Lifeguards are on site and protocols are in place in case sharks are spotted.”

For those who go beyond that, he called for informed decision-making.

“Understand the environment and the species present,” he said.

“Activities such as fishing or spearfishing carry risks, as does off-piste skiing. It depends on the level of risk you are willing to take.

“Sharks are not the monsters they are often portrayed as.

“They are critical to ocean ecosystems, and understanding them is the best way to ensure both their survival and our safety.”

Elliott also promoted citizen science to protect sharks.

“When people see sharks, it is extremely useful for them to share that information with me through my website, Facebook and Instagram,” he said.

To engage the public in conservation efforts, Riley developed the Great White Shark app, which allows people to “track and track these sharks, learn more about them, and make recreational decisions based on that information.” “.

Ben Tomsett is a multimedia journalist for the New Zealand Herald based in Dunedin.

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