10:56AM Thursday Jan 15, 2009

SYDNEY, Australia – A recent string of shark attacks across Australia has rattled swimmers’ nerves, but experts say fear not – it’s (relatively) safe to go in the water.

“This is a mild hysteria,” said Rachel Robbins, chief scientist at Australia’s Rodney Fox Shark Research Foundation, named for and founded by famed shark expert. “I think it’s just a freak coincidence that we’ve happened to have three shark attacks” in two days.

Despite the assurances, a debate is raging over whether there are indeed more sharks in Australia’s waters – or whether there are simply more swimmers aware of the creatures’ presence.

Read full article from The New Zealand Herald.

Filed under: Ali Perkins, News/Current Affairs