Sydney Shark Attack Now Deemed to Have Been 'Provoked'

A fatal shark attack in Australia last year has been deemed as a "provoked" incident by experts.

British man Simon Nellist, 35, had been swimming off Little Bay Beach, Sydney in February 2022 when he was attacked and killed by a great white shark.

The incident—Sydney's first fatal shark attack in six decades—shocked the world.

Now, the International Shark Attack File, run by Florida Museum, has classed the attack as a "provoked" incident, Yahoo Australia reported.

ISAF is the only "scientifically verified database" of all known shark attacks in the world. It tracks cases of attacks globally, and deems them to be either unprovoked or provoked. The unprovoked classification only comes if scientists can determine that human activity did not draw the shark to the area.

The provoked classification does not put Nellist at fault for the incident—rather, witnesses recalled seeing fishing bait in the water near where he was swimming, meaning the shark would have been drawn to the area.

Gavin Naylor, director of ISAF and shark expert, told Yahoo News: "We are committed to understanding the behaviors of sharks to better understand them. We anticipate that with an improved understanding of species-specific shark behaviors, actions can be taken to minimize the frequency of shark bites on people.

"In the tragic case of Simon Nellist, there were people fishing nearby. Fishing activity is known to attract sharks, primarily because fish caught on lines struggle and generate vibrations that bring sharks in."

Great whites are one of the "big three" shark species responsible for most shark attacks, alongside the bull shark and the tiger shark.

Although great white sharks have a reputation for being aggressive, attacks on humans remain incredibly rare. Sharks do not actively hunt humans, but attacks can occur if humans are in the water where a shark is hunting. A shark will be on the lookout for food during these times and may attack a human, often mistaking a person for its usual prey.

There have been 687 unprovoked shark attacks in Australia since records began in 1700.

In February, when the attack on Nellist took place, waters around Sydney are usually teaming with sharks. However, protective measures such as nets are in place at most beaches.

ISAF's provoked classification is different from the Australia Shark-Incident Database, which deemed the attack on Nellist was unprovoked.

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