What lead to the increase in shark attacks on humans?
The ISAF 2021 shark assail report
The Florida Museum of Natural History'southward International Shark Attack File investigated 137 alleged shark-human interactions worldwide in 2021. ISAF confirmed 73 unprovoked shark bites on humans and 39 provoked bites.
| Classification | Total |
| Unprovoked Bites | 73 |
| Provoked Bites | 39 |
| Gunkhole Bites | 4 |
| Scavenge | 1 |
| Public Aquaria | 0 |
| Doubtful | 5 |
| No consignment could be made | one |
| Not Confirmed | 14 |
| Total Cases | 137 |
"Unprovoked bites" are defined every bit incidents in which a bite on a live human occurs in the shark's natural habitat with no human provocation of the shark.
"Provoked bites" occur when a human initiates interaction with a shark in some manner. These include instances when divers are bitten afterwards harassing or trying to bear on sharks, bites on spearfishers, bites on people attempting to feed sharks, bites occurring while unhooking or removing a shark from a line-fishing net and so forth.
Learn most other bite classification descriptions here
Of the remaining 25 cases, iv involved bites to motorized or not-motorized marine vessels ("gunkhole bites") and i involved shark-inflicted mail service-mortem bites ("scavenge"). Five cases were regarded every bit "doubtful" or incidents that likely did not involve a shark. These included one example attributed to a stingray, iii attributed to bony fish and one to injury associated with scraping confronting a rock.
In a single case, the nature of the incident was unclear with the bachelor information ("No assignment could be made"). An additional 14 cases could not exist confirmed equally a shark-human interaction ("Not confirmed"). ISAF volition proceed to investigate these cases in collaboration with local law enforcement and medical professionals until they can exist resolved satisfactorily.
2021 at a glance
Global total of unprovoked shark bites significantly lower than average
The 2021 worldwide total of 73 confirmed unprovoked cases was in line with the most recent v-year (2016-2020) boilerplate of 72 incidents annually. All the same, unprovoked case numbers were significantly down in 2020, which we aspect to lockdowns associated with the pandemic. At that place were 11 shark-related fatalities this year, 9 of which were assigned as unprovoked. This number is higher up the annual global average of five unprovoked fatalities per twelvemonth.
Almanac fluctuations in shark-human being interactions are common. Despite 2020's and 2021's spike in fatalities, long-term trends show a decreasing number of almanac fatalities. Year-to-year variability in oceanographic, socioeconomic and meteorological atmospheric condition significantly influences the local abundance of sharks and humans in the h2o.
U.Due south. leads world in number of unprovoked bites
| Country | Total | Fatal |
| USA | 47 | 1 |
| Australia | 12 | 3 |
| Brazil | three | 1 |
| Canada | i | 0 |
| Ecuador | i | 0 |
| New Caledonia | 2 | 2 |
| New Zealand | 3 | 1 |
| South Africa | 3 | one |
| St. Kitts and Nevis | 1 | 0 |
| Worldwide | 73 | 9 |
Consistent with long-term trends, the United States recorded the most unprovoked shark bites in 2021, with 47 confirmed cases. This is 42% college than the 33 incidents that occurred in the U.Southward. in 2020. The 47 cases represent 64% of the worldwide full. This represents an increment from 2020 when 58% of the worldwide unprovoked bites occurred in the U.S.
Australia'southward full of 12 unprovoked incidents was lower than the about recent 5-year annual boilerplate of 16 incidents for the region. Six bites occurred in New S Wales, two of which were fatal. Iv bites occurred in Western Commonwealth of australia, one of which was fatal. Unmarried incidents occurred in Queensland and Victoria.
Brazil, New Zealand and South Africa all had three bites and one fatality each in 2021. New Caledonia reported 2 incidents, both of which were fatal. Single incidents occurred in Canada, Ecuador and St. Kitts and Nevis.
Florida had most unprovoked bites in U.South.
| U.S. Country | Full | Fatal |
| Florida | 28 | 0 |
| Hawaii | 6 | 0 |
| California | 3 | 1 |
| South Carolina | 4 | 0 |
| Northward Carolina | 3 | 0 |
| Georgia | 2 | 0 |
| Maryland | one | 0 |
| Full Cases | 47 | 1 |
For decades, Florida has topped global charts in the number of shark bites, and this trend continued in 2021. Florida's 28 cases represent 60% of the U.S. total and 38% of unprovoked bites worldwide. This is consistent with Florida's most contempo five-year annual average of 25 incidents.
In total, unprovoked bites by country were Hawaii (half dozen), S Carolina (iv), Northward Carolina (3), Georgia (2), a single incident in Maryland, and three incidents in California, one of which was fatal.
In Florida, Volusia County had the near shark bites (17), representing 63% of the country'south total. This represents an increase from the 5-year annual average of nine incidents in the area; notwithstanding, Volusia County experiences considerable variation in the number of bites from i twelvemonth to the next. The remaining bites occurred in Brevard (ii), Miami-Dade (two), and St. Lucie (2), with unmarried incidents in Broward, Martin, Manatee, Palm Beach and St. Johns counties.
Nigh bites related to surfing and lath sports
| Victim Activity at Fourth dimension of Come across | |
| Surfing/board sports | 51% |
| Swimming/wading | 39% |
| Snorkeling/free-diving | 4% |
| Torso surfing/horseplay | vi% |
Following contempo trends, surfers and those participating in board sports accounted for most incidents (51% of the full cases). This group spends a large amount of time in the surf zone, an expanse commonly frequented past sharks, and may unintentionally attract sharks past splashing, paddling and "wiping out." Swimmers and waders accounted for 39% of incidents, with the remaining incidents divided amongst snorkelers/free divers (iv%) and body-surfers (6%).
Risk of being bitten by a shark remains extremely depression
Short-term trends even so show both fatal and not-fatal bites to be decreasing. The total number of unprovoked shark bites worldwide is extremely low, given the number of people participating in aquatic recreation each year. This twelvemonth's increase in fatalities does non necessarily constitute a shift in the long-term trends. Fatality rates take been failing for decades, reflecting advances in beach rubber, medical treatment and public awareness.
While the incidence of fatal bites in 2021 was higher than is typical, we do not consider this cause for alarm. At this fourth dimension, there is no evidence that the recent fasten in fatalities is linked to any natural phenomena. Rather information technology is probable the consequence of adventure, a conclusion underscored by the fact that the number of unprovoked bites is in line with recent five-year trends.
ISAF offers resources for reducing your risk of a shark seize with teeth and instructions for what to do if yous encounter a shark.
The effects of COVID-19 on bite numbers
The incidence of bites both in the U.Southward. and globally have been declining. The numbers for 2020 stand for a more precipitous drib than expected based on an analysis of long-term trends. 2021's numbers are back at typical levels, which we aspect to the resumption of marine recreational activities after the previous year's pandemic-associated lockdowns. However, the first responders with which ISAF collaborates have remained focused on COVID-19 mitigation. Equally a result, ISAF saw a college number of "Not confirmed" cases for the 2d yr in a row. ISAF has and will continue to investigate cases from previous years as local resources and information become available.
Subsequently three years of declines, shark bites are again on the rise Past Jerald Pinson
Members of the press are encouraged to bank check out our "Media Resources" page and the "Quick guide to the 2021 ISAF Annual Report" for individual sections of the infographic, an excel file of the 2021 data, and other helpful resource.
Gavin Naylor, Ph.D.
Program Director, International Shark Assail File
Florida Program for Shark Enquiry
Florida Museum of Natural History – University of Florida
Gainesville, FL 32611 USA
(352) 273-1954
E-mail: gnaylor@flmnh.ufl.edu.
Tyler Bowling
Program Managing director, International Shark Attack File
Florida Program for Shark Research
Florida Museum of Natural History – University of Florida
Gainesville, FL 32611 USA
(352) 273-1949
EMAIL: tbowling2@ufl.edu
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Source: https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/shark-attacks/yearly-worldwide-summary/
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