Unprovoked shark bites on surfers: trends in occurrence and the mitigation options

The threat of unprovoked shark bite is deeply ingrained in surf culture in many countries. While the risk of an unprovoked shark bite to a surfer remains extremely low, this chapter identifies that the incidence of bites on surfers is increasing in several locations over four decades. If unmitigated, the number of unprovoked shark bites would be expected to increase in line with the popularity of surfing. There is no single universal mitigation approach that is effective and the risk of unprovoked shark bite on surfers can never be eliminated. Mitigation is transitioning away from lethal methods to a range of non-lethal approaches which emphasise personal responsibility and use of existing and emerging technologies. Mitigation can follow a hierarchy of approaches: reducing spatial overlap between sharks and surfers (perimeter), reducing the likelihood of shark bite when overlap cannot be avoided (proximity), and reducing injuries when a shark bite does occur (prevent bleeding). There are several different tools available for surfers individually or for the management of surf breaks that can be applied across the three levels of the mitigation hierarchy.