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Shark Attacks.
They are terrible and sometimes tragic but I wish they would stop calling them shark attacks. The sharks are only doing what comes natural to them, feeding. With the increase of the shark population and the over fishing of our costal waters the sharks are coming in closer to shore to find food. Sharks do not see they hear and smell. They can not tell the difference between a human and a very large fish. And the next time you read about another attack think about the following.
Joel
Has federal shark-protection programs caused surge in savage shark attacks?
WASHINGTON, DC -- The next time someone claims government programs don't really cost an arm and a leg, tell him about the federal shark- stock rebuilding project -- which has apparently contributed to a 325% increase in the number of vicious shark attacks off the coast of Florida.
"As amazing as it sounds, politicians appear to have created a federal program that increases the likelihood of shark attacks," said Steve Dasbach. "In an effort to protect one species, politicians have endangered another one -- human beings.
"So, the next time you read about a surfer being attacked or a small child being savaged by a shark, there's one thing you should keep in mind: Politicians can do more than just take a bite out of your paycheck."
Wait a second: Isn't it going a little too far to blame politicians for
shark attacks? Not according to Sean Paige, a fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute in Washington, DC.
In a story published in National Review Online, Paige reported that the federal government began a shark-stock rebuilding project in 1993, in an effort to protect what some said was an endangered species.
New federal regulations shortened the commercial shark-fishing season and strictly limited the number of sharks that could be harvested. As a result, as many as 236,900 fewer sharks were caught in 1999 than in 1993.
In Florida -- where the majority of shark attacks occur -- state
politicians followed suit and instituted a strict one-shark-per-person fishing limit. They also banned two common fishing techniques, which created a shark "sanctuary" near shore, where most attacks occur.
The consequences have been deadly. The number of shark attacks off U.S. coasts jumped to 51 last year -- up from only 21 in 1993. And in Florida, the number of shark-attack victims rose by an astounding 325%, to 34 last year.
In fact, so many swimmers have been terrorized over the past few months that Time magazine has labeled this season, "Summer of the Shark." In one especially horrific case, a bull shark tore the arm off an 8-year-old Mississippi boy who was swimming near Pensacola, Florida, on July 6.
While it is impossible to say with 100% certainty that the shark-stock rebuilding program directly caused those attacks, there must be some connection, said Dasbach.
"Do the math," he said. "On one hand, hundreds of thousands of
additional federally protected sharks are swimming around off the coast of America. On the other hand, there has been a sharp rise in the number of shark attacks.
"You don't have to be a marine biologist to figure out that more sharks are going to lead to more shark attacks. It's obvious -- unless you're a politician."
That's why the shark-stock rebuilding program appears to be a classic case of the Law of Unintended Consequences, said Dasbach.
"It happens all the time," he said. "Politicians pass a law to 'solve' one problem, and unwittingly cause another problem -- frequently worse than the original one.
"For example, welfare programs intended to alleviate poverty end up getting poor people addicted to government handouts; minimum wage laws designed to help the poor find good-paying jobs end up causing unemployment; and federal mandates forcing employers to provide medical care end up increasing health-care costs.
"So why should we be surprised that a program designed to protect sharks also has an unintended consequence -- jeopardizing the lives of swimmers? One way or another, problems always seem to get worse when politicians sink their teeth into them."
WASHINGTON, DC -- The next time someone claims government programs don't really cost an arm and a leg, tell him about the federal shark- stock rebuilding project -- which has apparently contributed to a 325% increase in the number of vicious shark attacks off the coast of Florida.
"As amazing as it sounds, politicians appear to have created a federal program that increases the likelihood of shark attacks," said Steve Dasbach. "In an effort to protect one species, politicians have endangered another one -- human beings.
"So, the next time you read about a surfer being attacked or a small child being savaged by a shark, there's one thing you should keep in mind: Politicians can do more than just take a bite out of your paycheck."
Wait a second: Isn't it going a little too far to blame politicians for
shark attacks? Not according to Sean Paige, a fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute in Washington, DC.
In a story published in National Review Online, Paige reported that the federal government began a shark-stock rebuilding project in 1993, in an effort to protect what some said was an endangered species.
New federal regulations shortened the commercial shark-fishing season and strictly limited the number of sharks that could be harvested. As a result, as many as 236,900 fewer sharks were caught in 1999 than in 1993.
In Florida -- where the majority of shark attacks occur -- state
politicians followed suit and instituted a strict one-shark-per-person fishing limit. They also banned two common fishing techniques, which created a shark "sanctuary" near shore, where most attacks occur.
The consequences have been deadly. The number of shark attacks off U.S. coasts jumped to 51 last year -- up from only 21 in 1993. And in Florida, the number of shark-attack victims rose by an astounding 325%, to 34 last year.
In fact, so many swimmers have been terrorized over the past few months that Time magazine has labeled this season, "Summer of the Shark." In one especially horrific case, a bull shark tore the arm off an 8-year-old Mississippi boy who was swimming near Pensacola, Florida, on July 6.
While it is impossible to say with 100% certainty that the shark-stock rebuilding program directly caused those attacks, there must be some connection, said Dasbach.
"Do the math," he said. "On one hand, hundreds of thousands of
additional federally protected sharks are swimming around off the coast of America. On the other hand, there has been a sharp rise in the number of shark attacks.
"You don't have to be a marine biologist to figure out that more sharks are going to lead to more shark attacks. It's obvious -- unless you're a politician."
That's why the shark-stock rebuilding program appears to be a classic case of the Law of Unintended Consequences, said Dasbach.
"It happens all the time," he said. "Politicians pass a law to 'solve' one problem, and unwittingly cause another problem -- frequently worse than the original one.
"For example, welfare programs intended to alleviate poverty end up getting poor people addicted to government handouts; minimum wage laws designed to help the poor find good-paying jobs end up causing unemployment; and federal mandates forcing employers to provide medical care end up increasing health-care costs.
"So why should we be surprised that a program designed to protect sharks also has an unintended consequence -- jeopardizing the lives of swimmers? One way or another, problems always seem to get worse when politicians sink their teeth into them."
elected officials spending YOUR hard earned tax dollars..... 
! On top of that there is only 5 types of sharks (bull,tiger,white, hammerhead, and another that escapes my memory at this time) that are considered dangerous to man. Out of those 5, the bull shark is considered the most dangerous since its pretty much blind and can't smell for a worth of crap...reason it bites then releases its prey if it happens to be human and not a nice fat seal or whatever.
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