If sharks wrote the news, the headlines would be apocalyptic. Sharks can claim only a handful of human fatalities a year (just six deaths from 79 attacks worldwide in 2010), while humans kill between 30 million and 70 million sharks a year in fisheries. Thirty percent of all shark species are now threatened or near threatened with extinction.
As human populations increase and more people enjoy recreation in sharks’ habitats, the number of shark-on-human attacks is likely to continue to increase, says University of Florida ichthyologist George Burgess.
But another consequence of rising human populations is demand for fish. Sharks seeking their next meal are lured into growing numbers of fishing lines, Burgess explains.
Sharks are also directly sought for their fins, used in popular East Asian dishes. Only 13 of the top 20 shark-catching nations have developed protection plans, according to the Pew Charitable Trusts.
Sources: University of Florida, www.ufl.edu. Pew Charitable Trusts, www.pewtrusts.org.