Beachgoers need better shark education
Australian beachgoers say they are more worried about shark attacks than drowning but don't choose beaches based on whether there are shark attack prevention measures in place.
Researchers at Flinders University questioned 766 people to find out how much they thought they were at risk of shark bites and whether prevention measures worked.
About 60 per cent of people said a shark attack was in the top three of their main concerns when going to the beach, unlike drowning, which did not feature so highly.
Charlie Huveneers told the Sharks International conference in Durban that, conversely, less than one per cent of people looked at shark mitigation measures when choosing a beach to visit.
"Instead, people looked at ease of access, landscape and popularity, so beach mitigation measures were not so relevant in their decision," he said.
"Interestingly, they were more looking at lifeguard measures than they were looking at mitigation measures . . . but they were more worried about shark bites than drowning.
"This is counterintuitive. If you're so worried about shark bites, why aren't you selecting your beaches according to mitigation measures?"
The research also found that people overestimated the efficacy of aerial shark patrols over beaches.
Dr Huveneers said the researchers wondered if people did not trust shark attack prevention measures but, when asked, respondents generally said they felt "quite safe" going to protected beaches.
The respondents, who were based in NSW and South Australia, "overestimated" the number of attacks, at 20-30 non-fatal and seven to nine fatal attacks in Australia every year.
Dr Huveneers said the results showed people needed to be better educated about the risks of shark attacks.
