Shark attacks in Australia

Between 1791 and April 2018 it was reported that there have been 1068 shark attacks in Australia with 237 of them being fatal.

Four species of sharks account for the vast majority of fatal attacks on humans: the bull shark, tiger shark, oceanic whitetip shark and the great white shark.

In an effort to change public perception and garner some sympathy for conservation efforts, starting in 2021, Australian authorities have begun referring to "shark attacks" as "negative encounters" or "interactions." The wording is supposed to dispel the notion of sharks as naturally aggressive predators and instead reiterate their importance to the ecosystem.