Posted on 11/03/2021 10:02:46 AM PDT by Capt. Tom
Sharks and tourism at what cost?
Joseph Troy, July 25, 1936 (Death)
Ida Parker and Kristin Orr, September 4, 2014
Cleveland Bigelow, August 13, 2017
William Lytton, August 15, 2018
Arthur Medici, September 15, 2018 (Death)
Julie Dimperio Holowach July 27, 2020 (Death)
This is a list of people across New England that have had their lives significantly altered by 'encounters' with (great) white sharks. Some have survived the unprovoked attacks; others are no longer with us. Notice the distinctive increase in shark attacks in just a four-year period.
The debate over how to respond to the dramatic increase in white shark encounters rages on between those that do and those that do not recreate in New England waters. The former believe this is a persistent and imminent threat to their safety, while the latter believe this is a wonderful spectacle to be observed. While I can appreciate the desire to see a large, powerful, and deadly animal in the wild, I also question at what cost.
While many areas of the tourist industry are currently benefiting from the dramatic increase in our white shark population, the people that recreate in the waters on Cape Cod are experiencing significant losses. People will tell you that they are reticent to go into any Cape waters on the ocean or bay side due to the risk of a shark attack. In recent years there has been a dramatic increase in the seal population, attracting great white sharks to the shoreline attempting to feed on these seals. Tragically, great white sharks may mistake a human for a seal, creating a shark encounter that can result in a severe bite, a loss of limb or death. Current scientific research shows that white sharks are hunting in shallow waters.
For many years, there have been organizations that have studied sharks and their behaviors with focus on preserving the ecosystem. It is time to start focusing on preserving lives! Recently, in conducting their research, scientists’ careers have been made, while the danger increases and persists relative to human safety. Let’s face it, researching sharks has manufactured a ton of dramatic appeal and makes for great television. It’s time for scientists to dramatically increase efforts and work together with communities to learn how to safely co-exist in our current environment.
My central point is that there are not enough financial resources and expertise being directed towards research and innovation of technology to directly protect people. Individuals that recreate in New England waters, especially on Cape Cod, need to be protected. Be aware that the state government is funding a lot of research on white sharks and their behavior. It’s time for the state government to also fund research focused on means for safely co-existing with white sharks.
Paul Papadonis is a surfer and the South Shore representative of Cape Cod Ocean Community (COCC).
The general publics interest will be absorbed by Thanksgiving, Christmas , politics, and getting ready for the coming winter, amongst other things.
Very few of us are going to put on a wet suit, and go surfing this fall-winter and spring, in areas where white sharks should be statistically low in that time period.
The white shark/people problem is now going to be a yearly event, and at least this author wants some action before it cranks up next June,2022.
It may be an unsolvable problem now, but at least try to mitigate it. -Tom
if I read that right, thats 3 deaths in about 80 years - not seeing a ‘problem’ that needs to be solved.
Really. How many died in drunken boating incidents?
I have information from high up that assures me that sharks will attack only the vaccinated. ;-D
There were not many white sharks around until the last ten years, because they were killed if they showed up here in Mass.
Then the Federal Govt protected the seals and white sharks and both populations exploded so that seeing 10 or more sharks from a spotting plane close along Cape Cod beaches is common now during the summer.
It was not a problem in the past but now it is a big problem. -Tom
Ronald Reagan:
“Hello, I’m with the government and I’m here to help”
“This is no boating accident”
Hooper Jaws
Or drunken car accidents, like the one on the other side of the Amity ferry in Chappaquiddick.
40+ year scuba diver here. This is what I have learned about sharks:
Sharks love to eat seals and other marine mammals, they taste really good!
Humans don’t taste good to sharks. Most attacks are a “taste test “ or a check to see if this is a seal. Humans are rarely consumed by sharks.
If you don’t act like a seal and avoid swimming in water with poor visibility, you have very little chance of being bitten by a shark.
More people are killed by cows every year than by sharks!
“I’m from the government and I’m here to help!”...................🤓
So, the answer is...
Don’t swim with COWS!!!
Statistics have to be relevant to the situation and geographical area the person is in.
For example; I live in eastern MASS. on the coast.
The chances of me being attacked by a grizzly bear, are just about zero.
I would expect those statistics to be higher if I walked around in the woods of other states like Wyoming, Montana, Alaska, etc.
If you don't go into the ocean, shark attacks are not a problem for you: if you do go in the ocean at New Smyrna Beach Fla. or Cape Cod Mass during the summer, statistically your encounter with a shark should increase.
I am more worried about a vehicle incident than a shark or Grizzly Bear attack.
Statistics have to be relevant to your individual situation and not be general as they are used today. -Tom
Were seals a commercial catch or just incidental? Do they taste like chicken? Actually curious. ;-)
Seals never caught on as a suitable meal for New Englanders, so they were practically eliminated for the bounty placed on them, and because people felt they threatened the fish stocks, and were generally considered to be a nuisance. Then the seals got Federal Protection and are breeding out of control in some areas ; Cape cod being one of those areas.
I personally have never eaten seal meat, but have eaten white shark steaks , which are OK but I would prefer thresher, mako, and porbeagle steaks. - Tom
Thanks - So would the fisherman be paid by who for seal bounties? I’m not worried there are plenty of seals around - if they’re smart they’d go somewhere else.
“Thanks - So would the fisherman be paid by who for seal bounties? I’m not worried there are plenty of seals around - if they’re smart they’d go somewhere else.”
As I remember in Boston as a kid, the bounty was $5 per dead seal If you brought in a seals nose.
Town clerks throughout Maine and Mass. payed the bounties.
There is an exhaustive article on this subject at:
https://digitalcommons.usm.maine.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1018&context=bio-faculty
Here is the conclusion:
.
Conclusions
We have compiled records of 40,251 seal bounties paid in Maine and
Massachusetts between 1888 and 1962. These records probably represent
between 72,284 and 135,498 seals actually killed as part of the bounty hunt, numbers that may have had a substantial impact on seal populations in the
Gulf of Maine.
We have also found that larger numbers of bounties were paid in areas that had more seals and higher human population. To the extent that the purpose of seal bounties was to reduce the number of animals where the
population is largest and where conflicts between seals and humans (primarily fishers) are most likely, it could be argued that the seal bounties were successful at achieving their objective.
However, it is also true that fishers
2009 B. Lelli, D.E. Harris, and A-M. Aboueissa 251
never ceased complaining about the impact of seals on their livelihood, no matter how low the seal population fell (Conkling 1999, Seal Damage...
1947) and that the bounties were repealed because the costs (including the
perceived negative impact on tourism as well as animal welfare and conservation concerns) were felt to outweigh the benefits (Lelli and Harris 2006)
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