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2012 Worst Year on Record for U.S. Shark Attacks

By Tim Wall, DISCOVERY

2012 Worst Year on Record for U.S. Shark Attacks

February 12, 2013 Updated Feb 12, 2013 at 5:16 PM PDT

America’s going to need a bigger boat.

In 2012, shark attacks in U.S. waters tied the record of 53 unprovoked attacks set in 2000. Florida had the most with 26 bites. The recently released University of Florida International Shark Attack File listed a global total of 80 unprovoked attacks. Seven of those attacks proved fatal.

Shark attack numbers have been increasing over the decades, but that doesn’t mean America needs to hire Captain Quint from “Jaws.”

“The concept of ‘let’s go out and kill them’ is an archaic approach to a shark attack problem, and its opportunities for success are generally slim-to-none,” George Burgess director of the International Shark Attack File program said in a press release. “It’s mostly a feel-good revenge – like an ‘eye for an eye’ approach – when in fact you’re not likely to catch the shark that was involved in the situation. The shark that was involved in the situation also isn’t necessarily likely to do it again.”

There is much more to this story from Discovery News, to read about it CLICK HERE.