Shark death is 'man-made' but now local sharks face unnecessary cull

A 59-year-old Australian man has died after multiple shark bites off the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia.

The fatal shark encounter took place around 150 metres from the beach near the capital of Nouméa.

The same beach had only opened again late last week after a previous shark encounter where a woman lost her leg, and prior to that there had also been a further encounter.

Chris Davis was mauled to death by a shark when he was swimming on a tourist beach in New Caledonia on Sunday. (Department of foreign affairs)

And that isn’t the end to the bloodshed, as according to various media reports authorities are now planning to cull all the tiger sharks and bull sharks in the area.

The Guardian reported that the city’s mayor, Sonia Lagarde, ordered the closure of most beaches in the area and the capture of tiger sharks and bull sharks in nearby waters.

It is said that around five sharks were killed after the previous attack as well, in the practice taken from the JAWS book of responding to shark fatalities.

The beaches weren't safe then, and they won't be safe after any other cull, not because of the sharks, but - if reports are true -  because of tourists and staff throwing discarded food into the water.

The Daily Mail reported that the attack area is near to a jetty (which) is close by to a restaurant where guests and staff throw food into the water off a 'viewing platform' to feed fish - which often attracts sharks.

If that report is correct, then once again it is sharks bearing the barbaric brunt of the blame for mankind's own failings to respect the ocean and those creatures that swim in it.

The shark believed to have killed an Australian man in New Caledonia. (Nine)

 Words by Dean Newman

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