The recent attacks by sharks in the Red Sea, which resulted in the deaths of two tourists, one Romanian and one Austrian, in the resort of Sahl Hashish in Egypt, occurred because the predatory marine fish were in the breeding season and were looking for food in shallower waters, established a commission of inquiry, EFE reports.
According to an eight-page report released by the commission of specialists from the Red Sea Protectorate and the Hurghada Association for the Conservation and Protection of the Environment, “a single specimen of tiger shark” was behind the two fatal attacks on July 1. ” given the bite marks on the bodies of the victims, who were snorkeling “, informed the official Egyptian daily Al Ahram.
The commission attributed the attacks to “the presence of sharks in shallow water, given that it is the breeding and laying season, which starts in mid-April and ends in late July” and added that “the reason behind the attack it was most likely food.”
According to the text written by Egyptian experts, the Romanian tourist was attacked first, in the Sahl Hashish resort, in Hurghada, although the first victim discovered was the Austrian tourist. Subsequently, the governor of the Red Sea, Amr Hanafy, banned all nautical activities in the perimeter of the attacks, without specifying when they could be resumed.
In its report, the commission listed a number of reasons for shark attacks in the Red Sea: overfishing in the Red Sea, overuse of places for diving and snorkeling, people feeding fish, animals looking for new places to feed, reaching the shore areas and places with shallow water.
In the short term, the committee recommended monitoring the area where the attacks took place, stopping recreational fishing immediately and carrying out snorkeling activities only under the supervision of certified guides. In the long term, the commission recommended the introduction of a comprehensive diving and snorkeling area management program to protect divers and marine life. The Commission also recommended regulating fishing in the Red Sea, including the suspension of commercial and recreational fishing from mid-April to the end of July.
Shark attacks were rare in the Red Sea
In recent years, shark attacks have been relatively rare in the coastal region of the Red Sea, writes Al Ahram. In 2020, a boy from Ukraine lost a hand, and an Egyptian guide was left without a leg after such an attack. In 2018, a shark killed a Czech tourist near a beach on the Red Sea. A German tourist lost his life in 2015, in a similar attack. In 2010, several shark attacks resulted in the death of a European tourist and the mutilation of several others off the Sharm El-Sheikh resort in the Sinai Peninsula.
The area where the attack took place is a favorite place for divers around the world due to its warm and transparent waters, full of aquatic life. Tourism plays a major role in Egypt’s economy, and the Red Sea is a point of attraction for thousands of tourists, most of them from Russia and Eastern European countries.