Shark attacks rise worldwide, but drop in Florida (VIDEO)

The number of reported shark attacks in 2010 increased globally but fell in Florida, the shark capital of the world, according to an annual report by the University of Florida's International Shark Attack File.

According to the University of Florida's International Shark File, released Monday, Florida recorded 13 incidents last year, well below the yearly average of 23 attacks over the past decade and the fourth straight year in which attack numbers have dropped.

However, the U.S. still led the world in shark attacks, followed by Australia (14), South Africa (8), Vietnam (6) and Egypt (6). 

Ichthyologist George Burgess, director of the file housed at the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville, said Florida typically topped the list in shark attacks.

“The continued downturn in the economy probably affected tourism and possibly the pocket books of residents in terms of the number of trips they wanted to make for holidays,” said Burgess, who has researched sharks at the museum for more than 35 years.

Worldwide, 79 shark attacks were reported in 2010, the highest number since 2000. There were six shark attack fatalities worldwide.

Surfers were the victims of slightly more than half of the incidents reported in 2010, nearly 51 percent of the cases. An economic downturn will usually influence tourists but not necessarily surfers, whose sport is relatively low-cost, Burgess said.

Swimmers and waders were the second-largest group affected, accounting for nearly 38 percent of the shark attacks internationally.

Meanwhile, humans kill 30 million to 70 million sharks each year in fisheries, Burgess said.

Researchers say that as world populations rise, trends showed that the average number of yearly attacks is going up every decade.

However, the global total of six fatalities was only slightly above average, Burgess said. Attacks worldwide numbered 63 in 2009, close to the yearly average over the past decade of 63.5. 

“Based on odds, you should have more attacks than the previous year,” Burgess said. “But the rate of attacks is not necessarily going up — population is rising and the interest in aquatic recreation grows. That will continue as population rises.”

The most unusual event occurred off the coast of Egypt in early December with five attacks, including one fatality. The attacks occurred within five days and four of the five were attributed to two individual sharks.

“This was a situation that was hugely unusual by shark attack standards,” Burgess said. “It was probably the most unusual shark incident of my career.”

Burgess said the attacks in the Red Sea could be attributed to a combination of natural and human factors, including higher water temperatures caused by an unusually hot summer, international livestock traders dumping sheep carcasses into the water and divers feeding reef fishes and sharks.

“The reality is, going into the sea is a wilderness experience,” Burgess said. “You’re visiting a foreign environment — it’s not a situation where you’re guaranteed success.”

In December, MSNBC reported that British travel companies had canceled water sports and boat trips from the Egyptian resort Sharm el-Sheik after a string of shark attacks left several people injured and one German tourist dead.