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Date Posted: 14:42:30 08/30/04 Mon
Author: Randall
Author Host/IP: 142.177.94.144
Subject: Re: shark attack
In reply to: matt 's message, "shark attack" on 08:34:26 08/30/04 Mon

Randy Fry Passes Away
By Scott Jaunich

Randy Fry, the leading voice of western recreational fishing interests, was killed by a great white shark while diving for abalone near Fort Bragg, California, on August 15, 2004. As Western Regional Director for the Recreational Fishing Alliance, a grass roots political lobbying organization, Fry was successful in advancing fisheries interests and bridging the often acrimonious commercial and recreational dichotomy. Among his many accomplishments, Fry was instrumental in convincing the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary to add a recreational fishing representative to its advisory council. Sanctuary spokesperson Rachel Saunders said the Sanctuary initially offered only a single seat to the commercial and recreational fishing communities because the recreational anglers weren't engaged in the Sanctuary process. RFA, through Fry, sought and won greater involvement in the decision making process on behalf of recreational anglers when the Sanctuary began considering passage of marine protected areas where all fishing would be off-limits. In 2003 Fry was appointed to the federal fishery management panel on groundfish, including important species to the recreational nearshore fishery. Fry also led the appointment of Darrell Ticehurst to the Pacific Fisheries Management Council, which sets most saltwater fishing regulations.

Following a successful "Fish Fry" in Noyo Harbor on Saturday to raise additional funds and new members in support of the Recreational Fishing Alliance, Fry, together with longtime friend Cliff Zimmerman and Red Bartley, President of the California Striped Bass Association and a board member of RFA's NorCal chapter, spent Sunday afternoon fishing from Zimmerman's boat in northcoast waters for salmon and lingcod. Once they reached the Kibesillah Rock area near 10 mile beach, they decided to anchor and free dive for red abalone. Zimmerman and Fry were old friends and diving partners and each had more than 30 years of free diving experience on the coast. Diving in 15-20 feet of water, with Bartley aboard the 28 foot boat Dolphin to observe, Fry and Zimmerman were in the water for only 15-20 minutes when Fry was attacked by a 16-18 foot great white shark. According to the Department of Fish and Game, there have been 106 shark attacks along the California coast in the past 50 years, 10 of them fatal. The last fatal attack occurred in 2003 in San Luis Obispo County. Fry's body was recovered a day later by the Coast Guard in the ocean near the site of the attack. Celebrations of Randy's life will be held in many California ports in early September.

Fishing in the ocean was Randy's hobby, passion, and career. "Randy was really instrumental in organizing recreational anglers," said Sonke Mastrup, deputy director of the Wildlife and Inland Fisheries division of the state Department of Fish and Game. "He was a uniter," said Bob Franko, president of the Coastside Fishing Club in El Granada. "He loved fishing and he loved the ocean."

California Department of Fish and Game
NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 18, 2004

Contact: Carrie Wilson, Marine Region, (831) 649-7191

Shark Attack Serves as Reminder of How to Minimize the Risk

The shark attack earlier this week, which caused the tragic death of California sport fishing advocate Randall Fry, serves as a reminder of what other divers can do to minimize the risk of being attacked by the ocean's top predator.

It has been confirmed by the Mendocino County coroner that Fry, 50, of Auburn, died from injuries caused by a white shark (Carcharodon carcharias). Fry and his companion were free diving for red abalone along California�s north coast about 10 miles north of Fort Bragg at Kibesillah Rock in Mendocino County. They were approximately 150 feet from shore and in waters between 15 and 20 feet deep.

"It's extremely rare that a human is attacked by a shark," said Kon Karpov, DFG�s Senior Marine Biologist and abalone researcher in Fort Bragg. "The best advice is to dive with a partner and to avoid areas with high concentrations of pinnipeds, such as harbor seals, sea lions, or elephant seals."

While Fry was an avid diver and, according to his friends, cautious and well aware of the inherent risks of diving in the open ocean, California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) experts are reminding people that there are precautions that can be taken to minimize the threat of a shark attack.

�It may be a case of mistaken identity or it may be investigatory or territorial behavior,� said DFG's shark expert Dr. Robert Lea. �The shark's primary prey are marine mammals, and if you happen to look like one, from a shark�s perspective, and you are near the surface, you're at risk.�

DFG recommends that divers who are spearfishing or abalone diving should try to stay in kelp forested areas where sharks are less likely to be searching for food. Sharks tend to swim in open water areas, both shallow and deep. While using SCUBA gear is unlawful for abalone diving, it is legal for spearfishing and allows divers to stay close to the ocean's bottom.

�Shark attacks occur from the bottom up,� said Karpov. "When using SCUBA, divers should minimize their time spent on the surface going for air and when returning to the boat or shore. This will help to decrease the chance of being mistaken for a pinniped near the surface.�

Another tip is to frequently transfer caught fish to a nearby boat or the shore. This practice is highly recommended as bleeding fish can attract sharks to the site. �We can take precautions as recreationalists, but the ocean is not entirely a risk-free environment,� Karpov said.

Sharks do not deliberately target humans as prey, however. That was likely the case with Fry and a swimmer who was fatally attacked at Avila Beach in San Luis Obispo County last year. Both were close to the water's surface where they could have been mistaken for a seal or sea lion. Abalone enthusiasts in open water are at greater risk because, as free divers, they frequently surface for air, and can more easily be mistaken for marine mammals.

Abalone diving is a popular activity along the North Coast. Karpov said that data derived from abalone punch cards indicates that on the average, divers spend nearly 100,000 days annually diving for abalone, and more than 30,000 people buy permits each year. Rock picking for abalone is an alternative to free diving and also reduces the risk of a shark attack.

The following are shark statistics recorded by DFG including the latest incident:
� Since record keeping began in the early 1950s, there have been 11 fatal shark attacks
off the California coast (10 confirmed from white sharks).

� A recorded 96 non-fatal incidents with sharks have occurred off the West Coast; 83 of
these were in California.

� The last fatal attack was a year ago. In August 2003, a white shark estimated to be 15 to
18 feet long attacked and killed 50-year-old college instructor Deborah Franzman of
Nipomo while she was taking a morning swim off Avila Beach in San Luis Obispo County.

White Shark facts:
� White sharks play a crucial role in the marine ecosystem by helping to suppress pinniped
(seals and sea lions) populations. The only real threat white sharks face are from humans,
as well as the occasional killer whale.
� Because of their elusive nature, there are no population estimates available for white
sharks. However, experts agree that their numbers are extremely low.
� White sharks are a protected species in California, Australia, Malta and South Africa.
Increasingly, scientists are suggesting that they should be protected in all oceans of the
world.
� Adult white sharks grow to about 21 feet long and dominate their domain as one of the
top-level predators of the ocean. In 1986, scientists were able to measure a female white
shark captured off Pt. Vincente that measured 17.6 ft and weighed 4,140 lbs.

General tips on how to avoid a shark encounter:
� Most importantly, don�t swim in or near areas frequented by sea lions, harbor seals, and
elephant seals, near their rookeries, or near the mouths of rivers where the animals
concentrate looking for fish.
� Minimize time spent on the surface. Wearing a wetsuit and fins, or lying on a surfboard,
creates the silhouette of a seal from below. Shark attacks are often believed to be cases
of mistaken identity, with surfing or swimming humans mistaken for marine mammals.
� Dive with a partner and stay alert to your surrounding environment.
� Avoid swimming during times of reduced sunlight, such as foggy mornings or dusk, which
are ideal times to be mistaken for a seal.
� Some high risk areas to avoid include waters around the Farallon Islands, San Miguel
Island, the mouth of Tomales Bay, and Ano Nuevo.

For more information and maps on white sharks, go to www.dfg.ca.gov/mrd/whiteshark.html

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