Mexican authorities killing sharks after attack on surfer
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Authorities in Mexico are hunting sharks near the beach where an American surfer was killed in an attack this week, the Associated Press reports from Acapulco. Adrian Ruiz, 24, of San Francisco bled to death Monday after he was bitten on the thigh.
The attack occurred off Troncones beach, a popular warm-water destination for American surfers, a 45-minute drive up the coast from Ixtapa. It came three days after a great white shark fatally wounded triathlete David Martin, 66, as he swam off the coast of San Diego.
The AP describes the response by Mexican authorities:
Mexico’s Navy and maritime authorities said they have strung about 200 meters (yards) of lines with baited hooks near the beach in an attempt to catch sharks that may be using the area as a feeding ground. Emergency personnel are warning beachgoers about sharks’ presence near the largely undeveloped oceanfront, said local civil defense director Jaime Vazquez. It is not clear what species was involved in Monday’s attack, but Navy Cmdr. Arturo Bernal said that helicopter overflights had sighted two great white sharks nearby. ‘We hope to catch any sharks that there are in the area,’ Bernal said, noting it was the only way to prevent further attacks.
A nonprofit group called Wildcoast, which sent the photo above, is documenting the efforts to catch sharks. ‘They have killed 10 sharks already,’ said Fay Crevoshay, the group’s director of communications. ‘They are still trying to fish more sharks to tell the surfers that it’s OK, they’ve dealt with the problem. They are worried about losing tourism from surfers.’
Wildcoast Director Serge Dedina said the killings are driven by what he calls ‘international shark hysteria.’ In his view, ‘surfers are staying away from Mexico in the tens of thousands due to crime, not fear of sharks.’
In a compelling story, the San Francisco Chronicle describes Ruiz, the attack victim, as a bartender who saved up each year to go on surfing trips around the world.
-- Steve Padilla and Kenneth R.Weiss
