Spate of Shark Attacks in Australia Rattles Nerves

But Michael Brown, managing director of Surfwatch Australia, which conducts observational flights along beaches in the Sydney area several times a week, said there has been an "unbelievable increase" in the number of sharks spotted in the past few years.

File photo of a threatened great white shark as it approaches camera. Neptune Islands, South Australia.

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Currents pulled nutrient-rich waters closer to the coast following storms off New South Wales about four years ago and left a perfect environment for smaller fish, which fed larger fish and, in turn, more sharks, he said.

Some Australian beaches are protected from sharks by submerged nets that run parallel to the shore. This week there have been heightened calls for nets to be installed at more beaches.

But the effectiveness of the nets is questionable: They do not create full enclosures, and sharks sometimes become caught on the inside as they swim away from the beach.

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"Shark nets actually provide a perception of protection that's not there," said Trevor Long, a marine scientist at Sea World on Australia's Gold Coast.

Others have argued for targeted killings of large sharks.

But shark species including the great white — considered the most dangerous to man — are protected in Australian waters, and many dismiss the idea of killing them as misplaced.

They include Daniel Guest, whose father disappeared in the suspected attack just days after Christmas.

"Anybody who knows anything about the ocean knows that this is their (the sharks) territory and they're going to do what they're going to do," the 24-year-old said. "I don't want anybody to be scared to go into the water."

But if you're standing on the beach pondering a dip, it's hard not to ask the question: Is it safe?

"The rational (response) is you've got a much higher chance of dying (while) driving to the beach," said Adam Smith, director of the Great Australian Shark Count Project, which compiles statistics on shark sightings.

"The emotional one is: No one wants to be eaten alive."

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