Shark fishing could be responsible for recent attacks in North Carolina

The scene in North Carolina has looked like an outtake from Jaws in recent weeks, with the state reporting six attacks in only 14 days. Now experts are saying that the uptick in attacks could be due to shark fishing — it's legal in North Carolina — in which bait and chum is used to attract the predators to the shore. Seems like a classic case of be careful what you wish for?

"If we fed bears right in Yellowstone, people would be screaming," the executive director of the Shark Research Institute Marie Levine rightly told ABC News.

Other experts disagree, pointing out that the outlawing of commercial shark fishing has led to population increases — and it's a fact that shark attacks are more numerous in the summer anyway due to more people being in the water. That said, the mystery of the North Carolina attacks seems rather open-and-shut: Just don't feed the sharks.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up