On Saturday July 22, on the beach of Barcarès, in the Pyrénées-Orientales, a blue shark approached bathers, creating panic on the beach, as shown by numerous videos posted on the networks. According to Nicolas Ziani, scientific director of the Marseille Shark Study Group, in France, since the 19th century, only five shark attacks have been recorded, compared to more than five hundred in the United States: “The majority of species in Mediterranean avoid humans, whereas they are more accustomed to human proximity on the other side of the Atlantic. For him, the real danger is the misinformation that sharks fall victim to.
Le Point: Is the blue shark seen at Barcarès on July 22 dangerous?
Nicolas Ziani: No, he is not. When blue sharks venture inshore, they do so naturally, without being aggressive.
What attracts them near the coasts?
What may interest them is easy food. They are usually pelagic, but, if food is not plentiful, they turn to the coast. It’s a bit like bears or wolves approaching anthropized areas to feed. Ports in summer are a godsend for them. This is also the breeding season: the females move closer to the coast to give birth.
Can there be a link to global warming?
No. Thermal warming can affect the behaviors of bony fish, but not cartilaginous ones like sharks or rays. Last year we were already in a heat wave; however, we did not notice more appearances than usual.
So there is no danger in the Mediterranean Sea?
Yes, there are great white sharks in the Mediterranean, but even when there were over 700 of them, you saw very few of them. Today, its Mediterranean population is on the verge of extinction. It appears once every ten years and very stealthily.
A recent American study shows that it is not as dangerous as we think. Chris Lowe, a marine biologist at California State University, explains that the population of young great whites on the coast aren’t interested in humans, only fish. Adults set their sights on sea lions and seals. Only one bite was recorded during the study.
Are these phenomena more frequent than before?
No, contrary to what the posts on social networks suggest. Many people believe they see sharks where there are none. How do I claim the truth of a sighting if it came from a social network?
???? Two blue sharks sow panic on a beach in
Unfortunately, the French know the animals from animal documentaries better than those who actually live on their coasts. There should be proper scientific sharing so that people are informed. That’s what I’ve been doing since 2006 through conferences.
The theory that more species will come to the Mediterranean in the coming years is unreal. Historically, the currents of the Strait of Gibraltar form a barrier with the Atlantic. And, even if the Atlantic populations ventured to cross this barrier, they would still not settle. Sharks form a philopatric population: they seek to return to their birthplace.
