Shark attacks worldwide fell in 2022, resulting in fewer shark bite incidents compared to the past decade.
In 2020, travel restrictions and beach closures were thought to have resulted in fewer encounters between humans and sharks and fewer shark bites.
The majority of the 57 unprovoked bites last year occurred in the USA and Australia. Five proved fatal, down from nine in 2021 and 10 the previous year.
But it’s bad news for sharks. Declining shark bites could reflect declining shark populations.
Gavin Naylor, director of the Florida Museum of Natural History’s shark research program said…
“Generally speaking, the number of sharks in the world’s oceans has decreased, which may have contributed to recent lulls. Likely, fatalities are down because some areas have recently implemented rigorous beach safety protocols, especially in Australia.”
Scuba divers are lumped…
