Between 2011 and 2019, the French island of Réunion witnessed 30 shark attacks on humans. This was equivalent to 18.5% of global fatalities in that period.
The island has a population of less than a million.
It has a small but strong local surfing culture. Réunion also attracted surfers from around the world.
Land on the island is limited and industries are few.
Tourism is essential.
Réunion’s strengths are very much linked to the environment. This island is a quintessential tropical paradise.
The shark crisis gave rise to fears on multiple fronts. Of course there was concern about the attacks themselves. Surfers became more fearful, as did those who came to the beach simply to swim or splash around.
But there was also fear that it could do real damage to Réunion’s tourist industry and image.
Why was there a sudden surge of attacks? This was the central question. Every local had their own theory and they were many and varied.
Some thought that overfishing in the region may have contributed to the increase. Fewer small fish may have been causing sharks to look for other prey.
A marine reserve (Réserve naturelle nationale marine de La Réunion) had been established off the west coast in 2007. Had this led to an explosion of smaller fish in the protected area, drawing sharks in like a magnet?
These 2 theories were opposites in a sense. In the first scenario there was less fish; in the second there were more.
The species of most concern were tiger sharks and bull sharks. Both species could be found in the waters around Réunion and both were well-known for attacking humans.
The shark attacks led to boom in scientific studies attempting to understand the problem.
Anti-shark measures were considered and trialed.
The government brought in surfing and swimming bans. Many of the country’s beaches were shut. These included spots on the west coast, where most of the best beaches are located. Bans had an effect of beach culture itself.
The social impact was profound. Réunion is an island. People are used to going to the beach for recreation. It is where families go to play. It is where people go to cool off. To be surrounded to sea, but not be able to enter the water must seem like a strange situation indeed. It must have seemed like residents were being denied their birthright.
Sharks are not new to the waters off Réunion. They have always been there. The people of Réunion had coexisted with them from the beginning. But that coexistence was upset in 2011. The crisis was seen as just that – something out of the norm, an aberration.
Shark repellents were studied.
There had always been questions surrounding the efficacy of electromagnetic devices. Did they actually work? Were some devices better than others?
Many were tested. Some were shown to have little effect.
Such devices were not always easy to get on such a small and remote island and they tended to be relatively expensive.
Drumlines were developed.
Traditionally, drumlines were baited and left to do their work. If a shark got hooked, it was usually left to die.
Sometimes bycatch would be hooked. This could include turtles and large marine fish.
However, new designs were explored. One type sent digital alerts to rangers. This meant quicker response times. Sharks could be tagged and released much more quickly.
The ‘shark crisis’ was a challenging time for Réunion.
To this day there continue to be differing theories as to why there was in increase in attacks.
Since 2019, the number of shark attacks has dropped right off.
A sense of normalcy is slowly creeping back, but the crisis was a reminder that the ocean is an uncontrolled and unpredictable environment.
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