Shark Culling Due to Increased Attacks in New Caledonia Denounced by IUCN, International Organizations

Shark attacks have recently threatened New Caledonia beaches, populated with both tourists and locals, in recent years. One of these attacks include the death of an Australian tourist who died after a shark mauled him to death in shallow waters near a crowded beach in the island, a French overseas territory located in the heart of the Pacific Ocean.

The island territories' beaches are still popular as a swimming and snorkeling site amid the shark encounters.

In response the perceived growing shark threat, New Caledonia authorities have imposed measures such as "shark culling" and installation of a shark net that will serve as an underwater fence.

The net will reportedly aim to prevent the entry of sharks near the shore. However, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and other international environmental organizations have denounced the said measures.

Shark Culling in Order

(Photo : Photo by Gerald Schömbs on Unsplash)

Shark culling or the 'widespread extermination of sharks' started earlier this year when the New Caledonia government responded to the fatal shark attack incident in February 2023, when the Australian tourist died close to a pontoon off a beach in the capital city of Noumea. The shark bit the swimmer several times and he succumbed to his wounds afterward.

New Caledonia was rocked by the shark attacks in Anse-Vata Bay. With this, the Noumea local government issued a ban on swimming within 300 meters from the city's coast. The ban will take effect until November 30 later this year, according to the website New Caledonia Tourism.

In the past, various sources have indicated that locals and sharks have coexisted in New Caledonia for a long time. However, local authorities and scientists still cannot explain as to why there has been a spate of shark attacks in the island territory, in addition to the fact that shark are wild animals in the first place.

Also Read: Shark Attack Reported in Lovers Point Beach, California; Shark's Identity Remains Unknown

New Caledonia Shark Attacks

Since recordings started in 1848, there have been a total of 19 confirmed unprovoked shark attacks in New Caledonia. Between 2010 and 2020, nine attacks occurred in the waters of the island territory, four of which are fatal. A tiger shark was involved in one of these attacks, based on data from the International Shark Attack File of the Florida Museum.

Three weeks before the February shark attack, a woman was severely injured on her hands and legs after a shark savagely attacked her in late January 2023. The woman and the Australian tourist were attacked on the same spot. Reports said local officials launched the shark culling campaign to primarily kill bull sharks and tiger sharks.

Aside from great white sharks, the said two shark species have a track record of killing humans. Despite these encounters, experts still assert that fatal shark attacks are rare. However, they still do occur whether the attacks are unprovoked.

In Australia, a man from the United Kingdom was cut in half, an incident caught on video, during a shark attack off the coast of Sydney.