THE SHARK MENACE

Taranaki Daily News, 2 December 1933, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE SHARK MENACE

DANGER TO BATHERS

(By

Cecil M. Hill.)

All people are interested in sharks at this season of the year because it is the time when young and old, particularly the former, love to spend sunny hours in the surf. In New Zealand waters records of sharks attacking bathers are fortunately rare; nevertheless the deadly menace exists. With warm settled weather sharks frequent shallow beach waters. The species of sharks that inhabit New Zealand waters are more or less similar to those in Australian seas, and the menace has become so serious at Sydney beaches that most bathing now takes place within areas screened off with heavy nettings which cannot be penetrated by the sharks. For many years on these beaches bathers were attacked and either killed and taken outright or odd limbs tom off by the dreaded man-eating sharks. An idea of the seriousness of the menace is furnished by the fact that in nearly all fatal cases the victims were takeh in not more than four feet of water.

Shark fishing in Australian waters has now become an important industry. It has reached to a successful commercial stage. The skin of the sharks killed is largely used in fashioning ladies’ shoes, handbags and purser while from the liver is rendered an'oil almost if not quite equal medicinally to the renowned cod liver oil. In order to convince Sydney sea bathers of the fact that sharks abounded in the surf a launch with the necessary net was sent to the locality. Only one haul was made, and twentynine sharks were netted. Most of these were man-eaters, and the four largest, including a 14-foot tiger shark, were caught in the first line of breakers, which as every bather knows would not be more than three to four feet in water depth. These facts should convince bathers that there is always danger where sharks abound, and in New Zealand waters there is no scarcity of dangerous specimens that come in near our bathing beaches. For centuries the Maoris had their annual shark hunts, and older residents will remember the beaches where the fish were split open and hung in long lines to be sun-dried. The odour that accompanied the process could be detected at considerable distance, and most folk who had to pass the locality usually did so hurriedly. The Taranaki coast was noted for the large number of sharks taken by the natives each summer. Dozens of canoes would sometimes take part in the fishing expedition. .Many of the sharks taken were of the dog-fish species, which are not dangerous to mankind as their dentition consists of homy plates in the palate instead of teeth. The food of these fish consists largely of crabs and shellfish, their flesh being less oily and better flavoured than that of larger sharks. Should a shark be hooked by the Maoris that was too large to handle, the creature would be played for some time and the line then fastened to several floating gourds that were watertight. These would be dragged under water for varying distances but would always return to the surface and enable the fishers in the canoe to follow. When the shark was exhausted it would be hauled to the surface and struck on the front of the nose with a club. Evidently this part of a shark’s anatomy is the place for the “knock-out” blow, as the largest specimens could be rendered helpless by the treatment. Some years ago a couple of trawlers with headquarters at New Plymouth were engaged in trawling for edible fish between Cape Egmont and Mokau. Fish were found in fair abundance, but so many reefs were encountered, and in consequence so many , expensive nets were destroyed, that the venture was abandoned. On several occasions the writer visited one of the trawlers and observed many strange fish that are not often seen by the landsman. It was the custom of the crew to clean the fish as the ship returned to port, the offal being thrown overboard. This always attracted numbers of sharks, which followed and devoured the matter as it was heaved over; Sometimes there would be thirty or forty sharks in attendance, many of which were of large dimensions. One, the largest of all, became wellknown to the crew. This fish could always be relied upon to appear off the Oakura coastline. In fine, .calm weather these scavengers would follow the ship almost to the wharf. On one occasion the large specimen followed to the wharf, and then sheered off towards the breakwater. The tide was full and the sharks lay for half an hour in about ten feet of water alongside the concrete structure. Occasionally it floated to the surface and the writer was able to get. a “close-up” view. The shark was between 19 and 20 feet in length, brown on the upper-part of the body and white below. Its depth was easily four feet, and across the shoulders its measurement not less than three feet. ■ Such a specimen could probably account for a couple of bhthers to satisfy its voracious appetite. . A resident who had his family camped on the Onaero beach had a startling experience a couple bf summers ago. The little children of the party were paddling in a few inches of the tideway. The sea was quite calm. The youngsters ran up to the camp and informed their father that there was a big fish, and invited the parent to come and see it. Upon investigation a monster shark of over twelve feet was found lying in the calm water with its head and shoulders in water not over two feet in depth. Evidently the shark had been attracted by the children, and hoped to be able to attack if the toddlers went into the water. On arrival of the adults the monster backed into deeper water, where it remained for several hours, doubtless expecting to snap up any unwary swimmer who ventured out.