A Changing Current
If you wanna surf this,
You might run into this!…
Recent reports of bull sharks near Taiwan were close to shore in the Kenting area, about 20km from Nanwan (南灣). A fisherman nicknamed “A Fong” (阿風) said he first saw a bull shark last month after he had become trapped in one of his underwater nets. The 167kg-shark was found dead in the net. “I discovered my nets had been damaged. At first I thought the damage had been caused by other fishermen, but it seemed to be caused by other creatures,” he said. “Later I heard from scuba divers that they had seen sharks, and about a week later, I found another shark trapped and dead in my net. That one weighed 326kg.” The Kenting National Park Administration said its records show that fishermen have caught bull sharks in the open sea in the past, but it has no reports of sharks coming close to the beach. Nevertheless, it said it would keep a close watch along the coast. People can report shark sightings by calling (08) 886-1321. Unlike Australia and South Africa, few beaches in Taiwan are equipped with shark nets. The nation also lacks coastal observers and shark-alert mechanisms to protect the swimmers. Marine scientists say they would like to determine if the increase in shark sightings is a consequence of climate change or a sign the sharks’ natural habitat is under threat.
Taipei, July 9 (CNA) The number of people enjoying the waters off Kenting National Park in Pingtung County have not declined despite reports of bull sharks in nearby waters, and local businesses insisted Friday that the sharks do not pose a threat.
Pan Chia-feng, chairman of a water-craft association in Kenting’s South Bay, said he has lived in Hengchun Township for over 40 years and had never heard of incidents caused by shark attacks.
“The waters off Hengchun are not their breeding place,” he said, The Chinese-language daily Liberty Times reported Friday that local fishermen found two dead bull sharks in waters about 20 kilometers off South Bay in June.
A 167-kilogram bull shark was found stuck in an underwater net cage on June 7 after its death. One week later, another bull shark weighing 326 kilograms was also found dead stuck in a net cage, the report said.
The report urged tourists to stay alert because the dead bull sharks indicated their presence in the area.
Bull sharks, which can grow to 3 meters in length, are known for their unpredictable, often aggressive behavior. Along with tiger sharks and great white sharks, they are considered among the shark species most likely to attack humans.
The threat, however, has not seemed to scare off local divers.
Tsai Yung-chun, who runs a diving business, also said he had never heard of anyone wounded by sharks in Hengchun.
“It is unlikely bull sharks will appear in waters off Hengchun because the water temperature here is higher, ” Tsai said. He also said the shark won’t attack people actively unless there are wounds on the surface of their skin.
Meanwhile, Kenting National Park Headquarters said judging from the depth of the water off Kenting, the chance for bull sharks to appear in the area would be remote.
According to an assessment by scholars, it is not yet necessary to install nets to keep sharks away, and there is also no need for people to be panic, the headquarters said.
Chang Chih-wei, a researcher at the National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium, said, however, that bull sharks have been spotted every year in waters off eastern Taiwan in the past.
Their appearance in waters off the western coast is puzzling, he said, speculating that the unusual phenomenon could be caused by climate change or changes in the sharks’ habitat.
(By Kuo Chih-hsuan and Elizabeth Hsu)
However, the recent reports of bull sharks near Taiwan were close to shore in the Kenting area, about 20km from Nanwan (南灣). A fisherman nicknamed “A Fong” (阿風) said he first saw a bull shark last month after he had become trapped in one of his underwater nets. The 167kg-shark was found dead in the net. “I discovered my nets had been damaged. At first I thought the damage had been caused by other fishermen, but it seemed to be caused by other creatures,” he said. “Later I heard from scuba divers that they had seen sharks, and about a week later, I found another shark trapped and dead in my net. That one weighed 326kg.” The Kenting National Park Administration said its records show that fishermen have caught bull sharks in the open sea in the past, but it has no reports of sharks coming close to the beach. Nevertheless, it said it would keep a close watch along the coast. People can report shark sightings by calling (08) 886-1321. Unlike Australia and South Africa, few beaches in Taiwan are equipped with shark nets. The nation also lacks coastal observers and shark-alert mechanisms to protect the swimmers. Marine scientists say they would like to determine if the increase in shark sightings is a consequence of climate change or a sign the sharks’ natural habitat is under threat.
