Hua Hin tackles 1-in-2-million shark threat

[webfact]

Hua Hin tackles 1-in-2-million shark threat

By The Nation

 

FILE photo

 

Shark prevention measures will be introduced in the resort town of Hua Hin after a tourist was bitten by a bull shark, even though a marine biologist said there was only a one-in-2-million chance of someone being attacked by a shark.

 

Prachuap Khiri Khan deputy governor Chotnarin Kerdsom confirmed that the Norwegian tourist was bitten by a bull shark while he was swimming at Sai Noi beach, southern Hua Hin, and the authorities had decided to impose measures to prevent further incidents.

 

These measures included installing multilingual shark warning signs on the beaches and dispatching more officers to ensure tourist safety, while the tourists were cautioned to avoid wearing colourful clothing in the sea and advised not to swim too far from the coast, swim alone or enter cloudy water.

 

However, fisheries expert Tassaphon Krachangdara noted that normally bull shark is not an aggressive animal and from an inspection of the bite wounds on the tourist’s foot, it was clear the shark bit him because it thought his foot was a fish.

 

Therefore, he suggested that the authorities should simply set up the warning signs for tourists and a install shark prevention net at the beach in order to prevent more cases of bites because of “misunderstandings”.

 

Leading marine biologist Thon Thamrongnawasawat said the chance of a shark attack was one in 2 million, while a fatal shark attack was even less likely. Globally there were around two people killed by shark attacks per year.

 

“Statistically, we have higher chance to be killed by bees, more than shark, as there are around 2,000 people killed every year from bee attacks,” Thon said.

 

Rather than unreasonably fearing sharks, visitors should instead be careful of more realistic dangers such as injury by boats, getting stung by sea urchins or poisonous jellyfish.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30343455

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-04-19

[Wallander4]

However, fisheries expert Tassaphon Krachangdara noted that normally bull shark is not an aggressive animal and from an inspection of the bite wounds on the tourist’s foot, it was clear the shark bit him because it thought his foot was a fish.

 

Bull sharks are some of the most aggressive sharks but this "expert" have never heard of Google ...

[Emster23]

where do they come up with these odds? I would imagine chances would go up a tad if an easily visible shark happens to be swimming in the area

On side note, Australian surf competition just got cancelled yesterday as there had been 2 attacks in 2 days.

[SpaceKadet]

3 hours ago, Wallander4 said:

However, fisheries expert Tassaphon Krachangdara noted that normally bull shark is not an aggressive animal and from an inspection of the bite wounds on the tourist’s foot, it was clear the shark bit him because it thought his foot was a fish.

 

Bull sharks are some of the most aggressive sharks but this "expert" have never heard of Google ...

Definitely agree with Wallander4 on this. Bull sharks have the highest concentration of testosterone among all animals,  that's why aggressive. And who has identified this as a Bull shark? They grow up to 2.5m. A decent Bull would just take off the whole leg in one bite.

 

If there are Bull Sharks near Hua Hin, I would be double worried. This is the only species of sharks that can tolerate fresh water for long periods (some scientists say indefinitely), so they must be up in Chao Phraya and all other rivers emptying in the Gulf.

 

In Africa they call them Zambezi Sharks, as they travel inland in the river, and have been reported as far as Lake Kariba. 

[thesetat2013]

How can they use death by bees as a comparison.. apparently these idiots don't know that a bees death is generally caused By allergies. Whereas a shark victim is vicious attack. Maybe a thai will feel safe with stupid messages such as this. 

Edited April 19, 2018 by thesetat2013

[sirocco]

Mashed, here are the Africans arrive by sea, in the form of sharks.

[Hummin]

1 hour ago, Emster23 said:

where do they come up with these odds? I would imagine chances would go up a tad if an easily visible shark happens to be swimming in the area

On side note, Australian surf competition just got cancelled yesterday as there had been 2 attacks in 2 days.

Australien sharks is not the same as small nice Buddhist Thai sharks! 

[sawadee1947]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

the chance of a shark attack was one in 2 million

perfect, now we can swim. No worries at all,

[Benmart]

2 hours ago, thesetat2013 said:

How can they use death by bees as a comparison.. apparently these idiots don't know that a bees death is generally caused By allergies. Whereas a shark victim is vicious attack. Maybe a thai will feel safe with stupid messages such as this. 

It appears that officials often say the oddest things when they have nothing relevant or fractual to say about the current situation.

Edited April 19, 2018 by Benmart

[heybuz]

Bull shark not aggressive I call bull sh. Most of the shark attacks were I'm from are by bullsharks.

Edited April 19, 2018 by heybuz
Added a bit

[Expatthailover]

1 hour ago, Benmart said:

It appears that officials often say the oddest things when they have nothing relevant or fractual to say about the current situation.

One could utter the same about some of the posts on here. 

Not me however 

[sirocco]

the same can be said of our governments;
constantly, they say very strange things,
because they never have anything relevant to say about all situations.
Everything is fine, we have the situation in hand.
You can sleep peacefully, we watch over you.
And during that time  

[taipan1949]

On 4/19/2018 at 4:10 PM, SpaceKadet said:

Definitely agree with Wallander4 on this. Bull sharks have the highest concentration of testosterone among all animals,  that's why aggressive. And who has identified this as a Bull shark? They grow up to 2.5m. A decent Bull would just take off the whole leg in one bite.

 

If there are Bull Sharks near Hua Hin, I would be double worried. This is the only species of sharks that can tolerate fresh water for long periods (some scientists say indefinitely), so they must be up in Chao Phraya and all other rivers emptying in the Gulf.

 

In Africa they call them Zambezi Sharks, as they travel inland in the river, and have been reported as far as Lake Kariba. 

In my fishing days I caught tiger and bull sharks within view of Pattaya beach. Got a really big Tiger Shark just off of Royal Cliff Resort.

[InfinityandBeyond]

On 4/19/2018 at 1:41 PM, Emster23 said:

where do they come up with these odds? I would imagine chances would go up a tad if an easily visible shark happens to be swimming in the area

On side note, Australian surf competition just got cancelled yesterday as there had been 2 attacks in 2 days.

Better odds swimming with sharks than driving in Thailand. 

 

Let's hope part of the solution for making it safe to swim for tourists isn't a massive shark hunt. Later to be sold in ChinaTown. 

 

[SpaceKadet]

14 hours ago, taipan1949 said:

In my fishing days I caught tiger and bull sharks within view of Pattaya beach. Got a really big Tiger Shark just off of Royal Cliff Resort.

I really hope that you just released them as they are inedible. I release all the snakes I catch in my garden...

But please tell me, how did you catch the Tiger? The only ones I've seen, and been close to were close to 5m. not a kind of fish you snag on a hook.

[Hummin]

Todays pics from the beach and their traps that hurt more people in high season than any sharks do in a year world wide. 

 

Last pic show how much they really care about the rocks hurt and give tourists cuts and scrabes, that affect them weeks and months after they come home from holiday. 

[wobalt]

Definitely agree with Wallander4 on this. Bull sharks have the highest concentration of testosterone among all animals,  that's why aggressive. And who has identified this as a Bull shark? They grow up to 2.5m. A decent Bull would just take off the whole leg in one bite.
 
If there are Bull Sharks near Hua Hin, I would be double worried. This is the only species of sharks that can tolerate fresh water for long periods (some scientists say indefinitely), so they must be up in Chao Phraya and all other rivers emptying in the Gulf.
 
In Africa they call them Zambezi Sharks, as they travel inland in the river, and have been reported as far as Lake Kariba. 

Of cause the bull shark are possibly entering river systems in Thailand i.e. the Mae Klong and the Pakong River.

There is unconfirmed evidence:
NHK Japan Stingray fishing Mae Klong River – 24 03 2016 (fishsiam.com)

“Another visit by Japanese Film makers NHK saw us fishing in the lower reaches of the Mae Klong River in Thailand.
After positioning baits across a wide bend of the tidal river the anglers waited for developments to unfold.
With no takes forthcoming, the team moved to a different area close to the estuary.
Shortly after repositioning the baits, one of the floats was soon moving away.
On winding down into the fish, it embarked on a high speed run quickly coming up in the water to reveal a small Bull Shark.
The Bull Shark was quickly released after a few trophy shots.
In the following hour the team landed two further Bull Sharks with respective weights of 10 and 15 kg”
The sharks we are talking here are juveniles as in Hua Hin.
I wonder if the bulls were “highly aggressive “ why we do not have more and even fatal attacks?



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