Australian Shark Incident Database

Australian Shark Incident Database

Australia's leading source of shark bite data.

The Australian Shark-Incident Database (formally known as the Australian Shark Attack File) is considered the principal source of shark-bite data in Australia. The Australian Shark Attack File was founded by John West in the 1980's and based on the initial research by David Baldridge, whose 1974 analysis of the database resulted in the first book on shark/human interactions.

The database

The Australian Shark-Incident Database (ASID), formerly known as the Australian Shark Attack File (ASAF), quantifies temporal and spatial patterns of shark-human interactions in Australia.

The Australian Shark-Incident Database is a joint partnership with Taronga Conservation Society Australia, along with Flinders University, and the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries

Maintained as an uninterrupted record by a few committed Taronga team members since 1984, the File currently comprises > 1000 individual investigations from 1791 to today, making it the most comprehensive database of its kind available.

 

View the database

 

Australian Shark Incident Database logo.
Australian Shark Incident Database logo.

The database has been maintained by Taronga Conservation Society Australia, since 1984 and includes more than 1,100 individual investigations of shark-bite cases in Australia since 1791. All shark-bite cases reported to the database are subject to thorough assessment to collate all possible information about the event. The original dataset is a comprehensive repository with 100 descriptor fields including information such as geographical location of the incident, weather conditions, victim recovery status, shark species, and time of incident. This information is gained by a purpose-designed questionnaire completed by victims, witnesses, official reports, and investigations by qualified biologists.

The database is updated as new information becomes available. Gathering this information enables a comprehensive evaluation of the context and potential causes of shark-bites, and may assist in reducing these incidents and promoting sustainable shark-human coexistence.

A paper describing the data was recently published in Nature’s Scientific Data.

Australian Shark Incident Database logo.
Great White Shark
Great White Shark

Analysing the data

All shark incidents that are reported undergo a comprehensive review of the circumstances and available details.

Find out more about the criteria for inclusion and the process behind classifying data.

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Great White Shark
Port Jackson Shark. Photo: Bluebottle Films
Port Jackson Shark. Photo: Bluebottle Films

Publishing this information

Any use of this information in any publication must contain appropriate accreditation to the Australian Shark Incident Database, Taronga Conservation Society Australia, and cannot be used for commercial purposes without express permission of Rodd Stapley and Taronga.

This database is dynamic and regularly updated (e.g. numbers of recorded incidents and their outcomes are subject to change reflecting the new information available and new cases as they occur).

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Port Jackson Shark. Photo: Bluebottle Films
A study into shark attacks conducted by university students
A study into shark attacks conducted by university students

Extra resources

From tips for swimming safely to understanding a shark's behaviour, find out everything you need to know from our resource hub.

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A study into shark attacks conducted by university students