The number of unprovoked shark attacks worldwide has declined over the past year. “Combined with 2020 was the lowest number of reported incidents in the past decade,” the University of Florida at Gainesville said Monday. In 2022, there were a total of 57 such recorded shark attacks – since 2013 the number of documented attacks has averaged 74. Five people died last year, nine the year before and even ten in 2020.
The researchers concluded that the numbers may reflect the decline in global shark populations. Gavin Naylor, director of the on-campus Florida Museum of Natural History, has another explanation for the significantly lower death toll: “It is likely that the number of deaths has fallen because some areas have recently implemented strict safety protocols on beaches, particularly in Australia. “
Shark has no immediate reason to attack
The research team focused their statistics on cartilaginous fish attacks, which apparently have no direct cause. However, in 2022 there were also 32 other ‘provoked’ shark bites – for example because fishing was taking place near the incident or because bait was swimming in the water. All figures are from the International Shark Attack File (ISAF) data collection maintained at the museum.
Compared to many people’s fear of shark attacks, the number of casualties is extremely small. In comparison, according to the CDC, an estimated 236,000 people die from drowning each year.
Source: Krone
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