what should we do about SHARKS?

Do not swim at dawn or dusk – that is when sharks feed

Do not swim in overcast conditions or in murky waters – sharks have poor eyesight and may mistake you for something more delectable (other animals swimming in the sea are more preferred shark prey than humans)

Do not swim in areas of known high shark concentrations – we often hear about incidents in some high concentration parts of South Australia and Western Australia for example

Do not swim near people fishing – they are trying to attract little fish which, in turn, attract big fish. Also fishers do not want you around to scare fish and you do not want to get snared on their hooks

If you are spear fishing, do not keep your catch on you, attached to a belt or anywhere else

If you are bleeding, or the fish you have speared are bleeding, get out of the water

Swim in company and stay together. Sharks tend to seek out the lone swimmer, or a straggler from a group

Sharks rarely venture into shallow water; so stay within a reasonable distance of the shore if possible

If at all possible, have someone in an accompanying boat, board or kayak, who is in an elevated position, to keep a watch out for you.

But remember that shark attacks - especially fatal ones - are still very rare on our coastline.