72
DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARADVERTISER.COM
Warning signs were posted at Makaha Beach after a shark bit a boy on Oct. 28.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. >> Experts say 2015 saw a record-setting 98 unprovoked shark attacks worldwide, including 30 in Florida and seven in Hawaii.
The Florida Museum of Natural History released the numbers Monday. Scientists say the previous record was 88 attacks in 2000.
International Shark Attack File curator George Burgess says attacks are expected to continue to increase as human populations grow and shark populations recover.
Of the six fatalities last year, two happened off the Indian Ocean island of Reunion; the others occurred off Australia, Egypt, New Caledonia and the United States.
The U.S. led the world with 59 attacks, including those in Florida, eight in each of the Carolinas and seven in Hawaii. California and Texas each had two attacks, and New York and Mississippi each had one.
Australia and South Africa followed the U.S. with 18 and 8 attacks, respectively.
Are we going to continue letting sharks attack our tourists? Let’s have some shark fishing expeditions like the marlin billfish tournaments in Kona. Exciting and promotes tourism. Start shark hunting expeditions and arm scuba divers with shotgun shell tipped spears. How about helicopter tours with customers armed with AR16’s and ships supplying harpoons. Those cages lowered into the water are so exciting. Spear those evil fishes. Mankind is the king of the animal pecking order.
Shark attacks, dengue fever, increasing homeless encampments, thousands of potholes, first in pedestrians killed on roadways, first in commuter gridlock; all part of the ALOHA state.
Leave the sharks alone. Humans are in their territory.