A local Perth man is believed to have been the victim of a shark attack on October 10; the 64-year-old man disappeared after his daily swim at Cottesloe Beach. Police found his swim trunks and said the damage apparent on the garment was consistent with a shark attack. If this was indeed a shark attack it was the second fatal one in the in the vicinity of Perth in two months; a well-known surfer was attacked south of Perth in August and died as a result.
Shark attacks are of great concern to those in the Perth area which includes the suburb of Bellevue. While it seems like fatal attacks are frequent only 53 have been confirmed in 50 years of record taking; however, this was the fourth fatal shark attack in Western Australia since 2008.
There are several agencies who study shark attacks and supply shark publications to the general public. The Australian Shark Attack File lists all known information on shark attacks; they provide source material for scientists to study; and provide public education and awareness. In addition, the Australian Department of Fisheries provides several information sheets on shark safety. These publications include shark safety tips, shark sightings and response, a shark fact sheet, a field guide for identifying sharks and information on a national plan of action for sharks. They can be downloaded from the department’s website or brochure printers can provide them in printed form.
The key to avoiding shark attacks is to be constantly aware of where you are and to pay attention to media reports about shark activity. While this won’t prevent such a tragedy from happening again, it may lessen the chances.
