Season For Sun and Surf Also Primetime for Shark Attacks
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Memorial Day weekend just ahead, and Americans are going to be heading back to the beach in droves. The season for sun and surf is also primetime for shark attacks we all learned last summer. The beasts got an unusual amount of attention, but in reality shark attacks for 2001 numbered about the same as the summer before, according to experts, one of whom is joining us now. George Burgess is with the International Shark Attack File. The group keeps a worldwide count on shark attacks. Good morning, and thanks for coming in and talking with us today. Many of your colleagues were saying that we all made too much of what happened last summer. I'll give you the final word on that.</s>GEORGE BURGESS, INTERNATIONAL SHARK ATTACK FILE: I think we got a little too excited. Last year's numbers were about the same as the previous year. And but folks got a little carried away.</s>HARRIS: Is there any way to predict that sort of thing for this year?</s>BURGESS: Well, shark attacks are largely a function of human activity patterns, the number of humans in the water. And of course we know populations of the United States and other places of the world are increasing every year. So we can predict that the actual number of shark attacks is likely to increase almost every year. But the rate of shark attacks, the chances of an individual being attacked, has not increased.</s>HARRIS: Unless you've studied what humans are going to be doing for the summer, you really can't say for sure. Can you not study where sharks are going to be, or whether or not there's been increased numbers of them, perhaps feeding or birthing in certain areas like that, to give you some sort of a heads up at least on the areas to stay away from?</s>BURGESS: Certainly sharks migrate, and in certain areas along the east coast of the United States, for instance, the sharks move up the coast line as the water gets warmer, so we know that kind of thing. But the reality is that the number of people in the water that cause shark attacks. And at this point, the shark population along the east coast are down as a result of lower fishing, so there's more people, but less sharks.</s>HARRIS: How about elsewhere around the world?</s>BURGESS: The same general pattern is occurring. Sharks are not able to withstand fishing pressure the way bony fishes are, so they're population are somewhat in danger all over the world. It just so happens that the United States has a lot more people entering the water each year. And as a consequence, we have more attacks.</s>HARRIS: You say a there is a difference between sharks and you say bony fishes. What would that difference be in terms of how they respond and how they are able to recover from being fished, overfished or whatever?</s>BURGESS: Well, sharks are long-lived and they have low reproductive rate. They carry young just like humans. They just don't put their eggs or sperm in the water. So when a population is in decline as it is in the United States, a recovery takes decades instead of years.</s>HARRIS: Finally, let me ask you this. We know what happens with campers. They go to some store and they buy Off. They buy Deet (ph) or something to keep the mosquitoes away. Is there any kind of product out there that would keep sharks away from you throughout this swimming.</s>BURGESS: Not really. The main thing is to use common sense. If you avoid certain areas and certain times, for instance, staying out of the water between dusk and dawn hours when sharks are most active. We can cut our already small chance to an even lower chance.</s>HARRIS: All right, well, here is hoping we don't have any real tragedies this summer to report. However, we do like the pictures. If nothing else, here is hoping for some good pictures this summer.</s>BURGESS: Yes, sharks do sell.</s>HARRIS: Yes, they do. George Burgess, thank you very much. We sure appreciate the insight. Have happy summer.</s>BURGESS: Thank you, you, too.