Australia shark attacks: Would cull work?

A white shark is thought to have been responsible for the latest fatal attack

The fatal shark attack off western Australia at the weekend was the fifth such incident in less than a year.

The death of surfer Benjamin Linden, 24, who was apparently mauled by a large white shark, has sparked concern among government officials and prompted calls for the animals' protected status to be lifted.

But are unprovoked attacks really rising in the region, and, if so, what might be behind such a trend?

Dr Bob Hueter, director of the Mote Marine Laboratory's Center for Shark Research in Sarasota, Florida, cautions against jumping to conclusions.

He told BBC News: "When you have multiple attacks, it can be one of two things or a combination of both. The most obvious is that there are more sharks there in a place where people frequent for some reason."

Dr Hueter pointed to the example of Cape Cod in Massachusetts, where great white sharks are increasingly coming close to beaches popular with bathers because conservation efforts have caused populations of seals - which the sharks prey on - to rocket.

"The other factor - which is often the most difficult one to understand - is just this concept of statistical clustering," he explained.

"Because you get two events that seem to be close together in time and space, doesn't mean you've got a trend.

"That's what the media often doesn't get, as soon as you get a couple of these together they're talking on the evening news about an increase in this, or an increase in that. And that's just not necessarily the case."

The death on Saturday of Mr Linden has re-ignited a debate on lifting the protection afforded to great whites, to allow either fishing or a cull.

After the last fatal attack in March, state premier Colin Barnett ruled out a culling programme, saying it was impossible to protect all people at all times.

Sharks are common in Australian waters, but fatal attacks remain rare, averaging about one a year over the last two decades.

John G West, curator of the Australian Shark Attack File, pointed out that there were an average of 87 drownings per year on the country's beaches.

The attack on Saturday was the fifth fatal attack in the region in about 10 months

From BBC NEWS