2008 Possible Increase in Shark Attacks for East Coast of the USA and Gulf of Mexico Regions.

In 2008 the National Marine Fishing Service (NMFS) closed commercial shark fishing for the North Atlantic, South Atlantic, and Gulf of Mexico for the following species of sharks: Silky, Tiger, Blacktip, Spinner, Bull, Lemon, Nurse, and Hammerheads until August 2008.

This was done to increase the shark populations along the East Coast of the USA and Gulf of Mexico for these species of sharks.

Here is the total shark catches for commercial fisherman for the past 20 years (1986 – 2006).

Due to over fishing, federal regulators have imposed tighter controls on commercial shark fishing over the last several years.

Year	Sharks caught by metric ton
1986	856.0
1987	2034.9
1988	3717.6
1989	5476.4
1990	3990.9
1991	3063.7
1992	2860.1
1993	1457.7
1994	1445.5
1995	1133.5
1996	1273.9
1997	1411.1
1998	1547.4
1999	391.1
2000	220.1
2001	269.1
2002	445.7
2003	716.6
2004	618.1
2005	381.5
2006	446.4

Source: NOAA Fisheries' Office of Science and Technology

As you can see the shark catches for the years 2000 and 2001 were less than other years.

 FYI – For your information:  450 metric tons of sharks equals about 1 million pounds. This converted to shark numbers equals (10,000 X 100 pound sharks) or (5,000 X 200 pound sharks) or (3,300 X 300 pound sharks).

 

Shark Attacks:

Source: http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/sharks/statistics/statsus.htm

 

 

Notice the shark attack numbers in the year 2000 and 2001 are higher than other years.

Also the 2001 Fatalities for the United States the highest number of Fatalities and these happened in 1=Florida, 1=Virginia, 1=North Carolina.

The (ISAF) International Shark Attack File said the increase of shark attacks was due to more people entering the water.

These statistical figures suggest that when the NMFS takes actions to increase the shark populations the number of shark attacks also increase.

We at Shark Attack Survivors are not opposed to the NMFS increasing the shark populations if it is needed.

As Shark Attack Survivors, Shark Attack Researchers all tell us the best way to avoid a shark attack is being educated about sharks.

Our concern is if those who need to know about the increase in the shark population are educated and prepared for the increase.

Beach Patrols should know to keep a better lookout for sharks, beaches may need to adjust their beach closing policies, develop a alert system to be put in places un patrolled by lifeguards, swimmers and surfers themselves should know about the increase, to use better common sense, and avoid the most dangerous areas and situations. 

To put it realistically here are few recent pictures of sharks cruising the Florida coastline.

 

Beach goers and those who protect them should be prepared to have an additional five to ten thousand sharks visiting the beaches with them this year.

PLEASE BE PREPARED AND USE EXTRA CAUTION!!!

Added April 10, 2008

Beach visitors may have to be more concerned about sharks this year than we previously advised.

From what I understand in 2007 Louisiana commercial shark fisherman caught so many sharks in such a short amount of time that commercial shark fisherman around Florida and the East Coast of the USA barely caught any sharks, not because the sharks weren’t there, but rather the large catches off Louisiana closed down all shark fishing for the year.

So the shark population increases started in 2007 when probably five, ten, maybe even twenty thousand additional sharks were visiting the beaches with us.

According to the ISAF in 2007 Florida had its third highest number of shark attacks at 32.

Adding the 2007 shark population increases and the 2008 shark population increases beach visitors may have as many as fifty thousand additional sharks visiting the beaches with them this year, and the species of sharks being increased are those that are known to bite humans.

Beach Patrol spokesman states in http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/Headlines/frtHEAD04040408.htm

Beach Patrol spokesman Capt. Scott Petersohn said this attack puts 2008 in line with "The Year of the Shark" in 2001, when there were 22 bites. That year there were eight bites by the end of April. "We are halfway there and April just started,"
 

Please use extra caution visiting the beaches this year!!! Beach Patrols themselves are already comparing this year to 2001.

Monitor the bites as they take place here...
 

Shark Attack Survivors