freediver
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Number of man-eating sharks in Australian waters is growing: experts
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,24857481-5000540,00.html
THE number of man-eating sharks in Australian waters is growing, according to experts, who blame the surging numbers on a ban on killing the predators.
Marine biologist Adam Smith said initial research and accounts from fishermen and divers pointed to a rise in the number of sharks in Australian waters.
Dr Smith, who has created the Great Australian Shark Count to obtain firm data on numbers, said great white sharks were no longer allowed to be hunted and fishermen faced fines of about $20,000 and a possible jail sentence for breaking the law, The Australian reports.
"They were once targeted as trophy fish by game fishermen, or caught by commercial fishermen because they were a nuisance," he said.
Dr Smith said globally shark numbers were under threat, but Australian law protected them.
Shark researcher Terry Peake, who established the Shark Research Institute of Australia, agreed that the ban on killing great whites had helped their numbers.
"Nobody is fishing for the great white, it has no human predators and commercial fisherman are telling us they're seeing an increase in numbers," he said.
Mr Peake also warned that increasing contact between great whites and humans could occur as many of the shark's traditional food sources, including salmon species, are more aggressively fished.
"For every one shark attack, there are reports of 20-50 close calls," he said.
The news came as a Western Australian couple reported a close encounter with a 5m shark in the same waters where a 51-year-old man was killed in a shark attack four days ago.
Port Kennedy Beach reopens after shark scare
http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,27574,24858986-2761,00.html
PORT Kennedy Beach has reopened this morning, a day after a huge shark menaced a couple as they set crab nets just 50m from shore.
The dramatic encounter happened 500m from where Brian Guest, 51, was taken by a huge shark on Saturday. His body has not been found.
Authorities have been patrolling the beach but there have been no shark sightings during the past 24 hours.
The City of Rockingham today reopened the beach but will continue shore based patrols as searing temperatures encourage swimmers back into the water.
In the latest encounter, Paul Vickery and his wife Lesley, from Warnbro, were menaced by a great white shark as big as their 4.2m dinghy.
The shark circled the boat before lurching at their boat.
``It was just like Jaws except he had his mouth closed,'' Mr Vickery said..
``The boat lurched when he rolled over and he either touched it or the displacement of water made us tip.
``It scared the 'bejesus' out of us.''
The beach will be closed again if there are any further shark sightings.
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