By I. Hansana, Jadetimes News
Three Shark Attacks Reported in Florida and Texas
On Thursday, as the Independence Day weekend began, three individuals were attacked by sharks on beaches in Texas and Florida, adding to the increasing number of such incidents in the U.S. this summer.
In Florida, a 21 year old man from Ohio was bitten on his foot while standing in knee deep water at New Smyrna Beach, according to Tamra Malphurs, interim director of Volusia County Beach Safety Ocean Rescue. The man received treatment at a hospital for non life threatening injuries.
On the same day, at South Padre Island on the Gulf Coast of Texas, four people encountered a shark, resulting in two individuals being bitten, as stated in a press release by Texas Parks and Wildlife. The two victims were hospitalized, though their conditions remain unknown.
So far this year, there have been 28 reported shark attacks in the U.S., according to the website Tracking Sharks. Since June 2, at least three additional attacks have occurred, including an incident involving a California man injured by a great white shark and a fatal attack on a man in Hawaii.
In Walton County, Florida, three women were injured by what authorities believe was a bull shark. Florida leads in shark attack incidents, as reported by the Florida Museum of Natural History's International Shark Attack File.
The museum noted a slight increase in unprovoked shark attacks and fatalities worldwide in 2023, with 69 attacks, 10 of which were fatal. The U.S. recorded the highest number of incidents last year, with 36 attacks and two fatalities. Despite a spike in 2021 with 47 attacks, the highest ever recorded by the museum, the overall trend has been a slight decrease in reported shark bites over the decades.
Gavin Naylor, director of the Florida Museum of Natural History’s shark research program, attributes this decline to commercial fisheries reducing global shark populations. However, he cautions that as beach attendance increases and some shark populations begin to recover, there may be a rise in shark incidents over the next decade.
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