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| People who go into the water where may be dangerous sharks run a small risk of being attacked. There is no simple way to keep sharks away from all the places where people paddle, swim, surf, or scuba dive. Shark-proof enclosures have been built but these can only protect small areas because of the large cost. In South Africa and Australia, nets are used along the most popular beaches to trap sharks. These nets also trap and kill many harmless sharks, dolphins, rays, and turtles. Tests are being done to see if electric barriers can be used which would keep sharks away without killing them or other animals. Scuba divers may, occasionally, carry bangstricks (tripped with an explosive cartridge), but often an inquisitive shark can be simply pushed away with a long, sturdy stick or club. If all else fails, kicking or punching a shark’s snout may put them off an attack. |
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Death Nets Mesh nets, used to protect beaches, kill many sharks each year, like the hammerhead (left). Sharks entangled in nets are not able to swim and suffocate because they cannot keep water flowing over their gills. Up to 1400 sharks, many of them harmless, as well as dolphins, are caught each year in South African nets. |