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Tuesday, April 2, 2002 Volusia officials plan shark-bite preventionBy MARK I. JOHNSON | News-Journal Staff Writer NEW SMYRNA BEACH — This month marks the one-year anniversary of the beginning of what became a record shark attack year in Volusia County, and beach officials and shark experts are watching closely for signs of a repeat performance. Deputy Chief Joe Wooden of the Volusia County Beach Patrol said his agency is taking proactive steps. "We are looking more closely at special events at the inlet (where sharks are known to gather), such as surf contests that might provoke an attack," he said. "If there are a large number of sharks in the area, something that the Beach Patrol would look at would be moving the surfing contest away from that area," Wooden said, which did happen during a competition last summer. Wooden added the patrol is also working with shark experts to use their expertise and communicating with local officials to help reduce the impact any potential beach closings might have. But options to prevent bites are limited, and the only way to ensure this is to keep people out of the water, he said. "If we overreacted, we could close the beach down for the spring and summer months," Wooden said. Instead, the plan is to order people out of the water if sharks are seen in the area and then allow them back in after the sharks move on. Staying out of the water is not an option for some. New Smyrna Beach surfer Duane Kimbel said the thrill he receives from riding the waves mitigates the chance of a close encounter of the toothy kind. Besides, since most local bites are minor, "a risk of dismemberment rather than death," he will continue to tempt fate. "It is just part of surfing," Kimbel said, calling the risk "a numbers game" where the amount of time spent in the water affects chances of getting bitten. And even with reports from friends Monday that there was "good surf and heavy sharks," he decided he was willing to take the chance. Eighty-year-old surf fisherman Ernie Laudenback said sharks are part of coming to the beach. "You don't get many big sharks, but there are lots of little ones," said the New Smyrna Beach resident. "About two weeks ago in Playalinda, near Titusville, we caught 10 or 15 of them in about an hour." Jose Castro, a senior scientist with Mote Marine Laboratories in Sarasota, said sharks aren't the problem, people are. "There are attacks because people are in the water doing stupid things, like swimming in an area where sharks have been seen feeding on fish. The only way to prevent interaction is keep people out of the water," he said. Last year, April 14-15 kicked off a record 22 shark attacks off Volusia beaches in what Time magazine dubbed "The Year of the Shark." Already in 2002, three encounters have been reported in Florida — including two in Volusia County. HICI Special Report — Sharks: Dangerous? Endangered? |
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