After the shark attack that occurred on Thursday, January 2, near Kendec islet, in Koumac, the autopsy of the victim's body remains to be carried out. The 40-year-old man was fishing, freediving, at a depth of around fifteen meters. A dangerous practice, but other factors and hypotheses can be put forward according to Claude Maillaud.
Recently, a 40-year-old man lost his life while freediving fishing in Koumac. He had dived and then brought several fish to the surface. “Over the years, there have been three lethal shark attacks at or near the Koumac pass. This appears to be a risk area for shark attacks.”notes Claude Maillaud, doctor and specialist in shark attacks.
Underwater fishermen represent half of the victims of shark attacks. “The captured fish represents a dietary stimulation for sharks, including large predatory sharks. The fish emits an odorous trace since it bleeds in the water when it is stung. It also emits vibrations. There is also stimulation visual of the fish moving at the end of the arrow. So all this is likely to attract a shark to the scene. explains the shark attack specialist.
The number of attacks doubled in the territory between the 20th and 21st centuries. The current climate may also be a factor. “It is known that the austral summer represents for us the period when there are statistically the most attacks. As there are also more people in the water, the probability of encounter is greater.”
However, it is difficult to explain the reasons for the increase in attacks in New Caledonian waters. “We assume that the behavior of sharks is changing and modifying and that the resource is becoming scarce due to overfishing. As for shark populations, are there population movements towards New Caledonia? These are things that deserve investigations that must be underway at the level of scientific organizations working in the Pacific”, replies Claude Maillaud.
According to the specialist, in 2024, two shark attacks took place in the territory. Since the beginning of the census of the number of attacks on the Caillou in 1958, 79 incidents have been counted.
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