Have you seen the 1975 blockbuster thriller film “Jaws” ? Who hasn’t, right? An undoubted cinematic masterpiece, the movie did a great disservice, however, to the perception of sharks in contemporary culture. The portrayal of a man eatingmonster remains to this day.
It’s important to bear in mind that this reputation is entirely undeserved. Research shows that almost all shark attacks are indeed a case of mistaken identity; the person is mistaken for a seal or similar prey animal. Another salient point is this: sharks kill approximately 12 people per year, whereas people kill in excess of 11,000 sharks per hour. Source: “Global catches, exploitation rates, and rebuilding options for sharks” https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0308597X13000055
Clearly, us humans are ill-equipped to properly assess danger.
For further context, according to World Atlas data (2022), the following animals are responsible for the most deaths per year:
Mosquitoes – 1,000,000
Snakes – 50,000
Dogs – 25,000
Tsetse Fly – 10,000
Roundworm/Tapeworm – 2,500 each
“Jaws”, remember, can be attributed to 12 per year – at most.
So, while the risk are clearly overblown, any technology that can be implemented to reduce human-shark encounters (aside from harmful nets) is a welcome advancement. One promising product is known as Shark Stop – a wetsuit developed in Queensland, Australia. Consisting of a specially-developed polymer, life-threatening punctures and tearing are prevented by the material. Stringently tested for efficacy by Flinders University, the suit is available now on the market. More information can be found here: https://sharkstop.co/
Enviroblog.net is is no way affiliated with Shark Stop
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