The shark attacks on tourists at the Red Sea has resulted in a 20% drop in tourism in an area that relies on tourism.<\/p>\n
Personal tragedies include the dead and injured, and their families of course.\u00a0 But also those whose jobs and livelihoods are in the tourism sector – there are other places to dive and snorkel without risking the attentions of sharks, and people have long memories.<\/p>\n
But its not just humans who are affected, \u00a0the sharks also. \u00a0There are no winners from these attacks.<\/p>\n
It was in relief therefore that I read Hazem Zohny humorous article in the Egyptian local daily paper Ahramonline last Sunday.\u00a0 In \u201dEgyptian media bites back at shark\u201d he poked fun at chat show hosts personalising the incident “as though it had the option of munching on some yellowfin tuna somewhere in the deep but opted for helpless homo sapiens instead”.<\/p>\n
Sci-fi aficionados also came within Zohny\u2019s sights with the theory that a mutated heir of Jaws is back.\u00a0\u00a0 The cold fact that \u201cnuclear radiation leaks kill creatures rather than excite them\u201d contributed by the head of the Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority is unlikely to sway them..<\/p>\n
Finally of course came the hilarious accusation from conspiracy theorists that the Israelis had set up the shark. \u201cToo ludicrous,\u201d sniffed the Israeli.<\/p>\n
Seriously though, the longest-term consequence, which will perhaps cause few people to pause for thought, is the adverse reaction to sharks themselves. Sharks are in more danger from humans than vice versa, and the result must be increased needless killing of sharks.<\/p>\n
Contrary to popular belief, shark attacks are extremely rare in the world and almost unknown in the Red Sea previously.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The shark attacks on tourists at the Red Sea has resulted in a 20% drop in tourism in an area that relies on tourism. Personal tragedies include the dead and injured, and their families of course.\u00a0 But also those whose … Continue reading