The people's battle against the terrors of the sea
And the sharks' fight to survive
Shark populations have been hit hard lately. It remains to be seen whether tough new conservation measures will help them recover. - Conniff
- In October 1992, a surfer named Rick Gruzinsky was attacked while surfing in Oahu. Only suffered minor scratches.
Two weeks later, a shark killed an 18 year old body border off the beaches of Oahu. He bled to death on the beach.
Earlier in 1992, also off Oahu, a surfer disappeared leaving behind only a surf board with a huge bite mark.
A few months before that, a tiger shark killed a woman by tearing off her limbs while snorkeling, off Maui.
An Angry Posse Goes After The Killers - The Fight Against Or For Sharks
The public's reaction to these attacks was in part predictable. Parents kept their children out of the water, and the legislature debated "tiger shark eradication," and the tourist industry was scared out of their minds.
The state of Hawaii sent out a posse to dispatch any large sharks it could find in areas where the attacks were recorded.
The outcry on behalf of the sharks was at least as loud as the clamor against them.
The rate of attack was determined not by how many sharks you took out of the ocean, but how many people you put in it.
Around 8 million people use the beaches of Hawaii each year, and only a minuscule 2.4 attacks are averaged.
The annual toll of 30 or 40 deaths are by drowning.
Public also took a stand on behalf of the sharks
Under pressure , the state ultimately diverted much of its control money to conduct research.
Mixed feelings began surfacing everywhere people live with sharks.
Widespread concern that shark populations have plummeted worldwide.
South Africa, for example, declared the great white shark a protected species and imposed a ban on fishing for the creatures
Australia has ban...