Scubaism

Cleaner waters and a more plentiful supply of fish could be luring more sharks to the territory than at any time in the last 10 years, a media report said on Sunday.

The main beach at Stanley, on the south side of Hong Kong Island, was closed after the carcass of a juvenile blacktip reef shark was found entangled in a shark-prevention net, the South China Morning Post said.

The government also reported more than 20 shark sightings in July with two so far this month in a marine park near Sai Kung along the east coast of Hong Kong’s New Territories.

“Water quality has steadily improved over the years. In addition, the artificial reefs deployed in the eastern waters have successfully attracted fish, the small sharks’ main diet,” said Suzanne Gendron, head of zoological operations at the Ocean Park.

“The small sharks sighted within Hong Kong waters may have been attracted by the increasing numbers of fish.”

The sightings have led the government to temporary close some beaches and advise people to keep out of the water, leading to suggestions that officials had overreacted.

“These small sharks are primarily fish and invertebrate feeders and only show aggression when cornered,” Gendron said.

WWF conservation director Andy Cornish, agreed. “It should not be necessary to close a beach with a shark net, providing the shark net is properly maintained and any shark seen is outside the net,” he said.

Cornish speculated that the sharks may have been lured by the exceptionally hot weather. July was the warmest month recorded in Hong Kong since 1967