Ballina fatal shark attack: Man dies after being taken at Shelly Beach
THE death of Ballina surfer Tadashi Nakahara yesterday was beamed around the world on the live stream of the Coastalwatch website, which features cameras at many of Australia’s top surf spots.
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MONSTER sharks are prowling the north coast unrestricted with marine parks, whale migration, schools of bait fish and a lack of shark nets luring them closer to shore.
The death of Ballina surfer Tadashi Nakahara yesterday — the second fatal attack on the north coast in five months — was beamed around the world on the live stream of the Coastalwatch website, which features cameras at many of Australia’s top surf spots.
ANOTHER ATTACK: SHARK ‘JUMPED OUT OF THE WATER’
Police were analysing two videos of the attack in which a 4m shark, believed to be a great white, attacked the 41-year-old, taking both of his legs and half of his board.
There have been five shark attack scares on the north coast in recent months, as authorities monitor great whites, bull sharks and bronze whalers chasing bait fish, mackerel and whales along the coast.
Mr Nakahara, a father-of-one, moved to Ballina two years ago and had been working as a distributor for Webster Surfboards.
A friend said Mr Nakahara was living his surfing dream in Australia. “He loved surfing. That was his work, that was his life. He was trying to learn everything he could about the surfing industry.”
In an eerie premonition, the friend said he had discussed shark attacks with Mr Nakahara only days ago.
“There have been a few attacks in the news and I said, ‘You’re still paddling around out there?’ He said he wasn’t worried.”
Commercial fisherman Dave Woods, who has worked in the area for 35 years, said fish stocks and a clampdown on commercial shark hunting on the north coast had created perfect conditions for sharks.
“In the last seven to eight years they’ve gotten bigger,” Mr Woods said. “You have the whales, schools of bait fish, the white pilchards coming past and the mackerel run from Southport to Evans Head.”
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Mr Woods said bigger shark breeds were producing more pups that could grow quickly because of whale migration and fish stocks. “It’s the most sharks I’ve ever seen,” he said.
Southern Cross University marine biologist Dr Danny Bucher said increased whale numbers attracted sharks.
“Most shark attacks, the dangerous sharks, makos, great whites, tiger sharks, are migratory species and yes it’s possible more whales mean more sharks but the diet would have to be balanced out by dolphins and seals being available,” Dr Bucher said.
He said humans were not the first choice for sharks but surfers, body boarders and deep water swimmers were most at risk of the exploratory bite, which is often fatal.
“They are trying to find out what we are, we are sitting on the surface of the ocean and they are scavengers as well as predators and they like an easy meal,” he said. “They think something on the surface is dead prey and they will have an exploratory bite, which is often fatal, but most shark attacks are one bite.”
Sea World marine sciences director Trevor Long has previously told The Daily Telegraph sharks cruised the coast looking for food, stalking whales, seals and dolphins, often close to shore.
He said the area from Ballina to Byron Bay attracted a lot of sharks. “They follow the food. Whites come in close just at the back of the surf line where the fish are,” he said.
Mr Long said people should not swim in deep water alone, in river mouths or wear bright clothing that would attract sharks.
Richmond Local Area Command crime manager Detective-Inspector Cameron Lindsay described the shark as “very large” and said four surfers came to Mr Nakahara’s aid. Two of the surfers saw the incident happen and helped drag him to shore, applying tourniquets but failing to stop the severe blood loss.
A Department of Primary Industries shark expert was sent to Ballina to assist police. If the shark can be identified and poses a risk to the community it can be culled.
Beaches from Lennox Head to Ballina will remain closed for 24 hours. Police are working with the Japanese consulate to inform the surfer’s family and friends.
Ballina mayor David Wright said surfers had described the shark as 4m long, a “very big shark”.
“It’s devastating in lots of ways but particularly because he’s a local,” he said. “It really was a large shark because it took the back of the board and took part of the gentleman.”
North coast councils opposed shark nets off popular surfing beaches.
ANOTHER ATTACK: SHARK ‘JUMPED OUT OF THE WATER’
SHARK ATTACKS IN AUSTRALIA
* 174 fatal in past 100 years (809 attacks reported)
* Six in the past year, including four in past five months
Recent Deaths
* Feb - Surfer, Ballina, NSW 2014
* Dec - Daniel Smith, 18, Rudder Reef, north of Port Douglas, Qld
* Dec - Spear fisher, 17, great white, Cheynes Beach, near Albany, WA
* Sept - Paul Wilcox, 50, great white, surfing, Byron Bay, NSW
* April - Christine Armstrong, 63, Tathra Beach, NSW
* Feb - Spear fisher Sam Kellet, 28, Goldsmith Beach, Yorke Peninsula, SA
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