fatal shark attacks australia 2021
(modern). Earlier this week a similar attack happened off the coast of Western Australia when a professional surfer had to fight back a beast.. Max Marsden, 30, was enjoying an early morning surf session when a shark took a chunk out of his arm.. Little Bay is normally such a calm, beautiful place enjoyed by families," Randwick Mayor Dylan Parker said. Four of the 11 fatal attacks were elsewhere in New South Wales. Will you benefit? Mr Peck said volunteer lifesavers were not at Port beach, as they are usually stationed at Leighton Beach. A similar situation is happening on the west coast, where warmer waters mean salmon, herring and other fish are going south, causing sharks to follow. WebA man has died after he was attacked by a shark on the NSW Mid North Coast. For years, fatality rates have been declining, due to beach safety, medical treatment and public awareness. All are slow to reproduce, maturing late and bearing only a handful of pups per pregnancy. Brown says that, as authorities use more drones, theyll see that on just about every beach, all around Australia, sharks are swimming by surfers and swimmers. Are responses to shark attacks a political play thats pure theatre? "But it's in your blood and we love it, all for different reasons.". Get the latest stories delivered straight to you, people were killed in shark attacks in Australia than any other nation. Members share advice and have access to a counsellor and psychologist to help with PTSD. A professional surfer has shared the miraculous story of his escape from a shark attack, repeatedly punching the 1.5-metre bronze whaler until it unlatched from his Home; About. More southern bluefin tuna in waters off the south-east coast of South Australia is unlikely to be the reason for a suspected fatal shark attack that killed Victorian snorkeller Duncan Craw, says a fishing industry leader. Its understood half of a wetsuit and partial human remains were located in the water around 6pm. I cant recall ever having a shark attack in this area, he told ABC TV. A new study has revealed how dangerous Austalias coastline is compared to the rest of the world. WebShark attacks increased around the world in 2021 following three consecutive years of decline, though beach closures in 2020 caused by the COVID-19 pandemic could be making the numbers seem more dramatic than they are, officials said Monday. We are all in shock.". Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, List of fatal shark-incidents in Australia, "Shark attacks rebranded as 'negative encounters', "Surfer attacked by shark north of Perth", "10yo in stable condition after shark 'grabbed him from boat', "Grandfather of 10yo shark victim says family is in 'shock' and coming to terms with the incident", "Praise for father of young Tasmanian shark attack victim", "Surfer's foot left 'pretty mangled' after being 'bitten to the bone' in shark attack", Grandmother, 60, Shares Shark Attack Story, Fight with shark, Youth beats off monster, Shark Bait-Shark Bite, The Courier-Mail 16 Dec 1933, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Shark_attacks_in_Australia&oldid=1129782515, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, A surfer was mauled by a white shark while surfing at, A surfer was attacked by an unidentified species off the coast of. Researchers recorded 73 unprovoked attacks worldwide in 2021, up from 52 swimmers bitten in 2020. And fatalities really come down to where you get bitten and how close you are to getting help.. Shark attacks in New Zealand are rare compared to the large number of people in the water each year. There were two fatal shark attacks in 2021, and seven in 2020. The shark released the board and Minogue paddled back into shore. He wanted to understand why this was happening. Those include swimming at a patrolled location between red and yellow flags, avoiding swimming and surfing at dawn, dusk and night, and steering clear of river mouths, murky waters and schools of baitfish. Webhow many sharks are killed per year in australia. This is what we know. The reality is theyre going to come into contact with a lot more people, he says. Beaches were closed from Pilgramunna north to Bloodwood Creek in Cape Range National Park. He pointed to the state's shark monitoring system, the SharkSmart app, and incentives for people to purchase shark deterrents. More Australians live by the coast and theres greater access to beaches. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play. We will remove this and make the necessary changes. Last year, there were eight fatal attacks in Australia, the highest annual death toll in 90 years. The shark attack certainly did not have any impact on people's behaviour" Cr Clayfield said. On the day of the incident when it's Saturday, it was actually doing a patrol down to Port Bouvard, when it became aware of the incident it immediately reported back to Port beach to assist in the search for the individual, he said. Two ambulances and a helicopter were sent to the scene, but they were stood down when the woman was declared dead. Due to the influx of deaths associated with Covid-19 keeping first responders and coroners busy, there was an increase in unconfirmed shark bites in 2021 for the second year in a row. Perth beach where fatal shark attack happened unpatrolled when Paul Millachip was taken, Follow our live blog for the latest from the Met Gala, Catch up with The Loop, your quick wrap of this morning's news, Keep up with the latest ASX and business news. While the US accounts for the most shark bites with 47 in 2021, Australia leads the world in fatal shark attacks. Australia leads in fatal attacks While the US accounts for the most shark bites with 47 in 2021, Australia leads the world in fatal shark attacks. He died [doing] what he enjoyed doing the most, which was exercising. Though Covid restrictions eased in 2021 for many parts of the world, the report notes that shark-bite reporting remains "spotty". The Australian Shark-Incident Database has recorded that between 1791 and April 2018 there were 237 fatal shark attacks in Australia. In the two years of 2020 and 2021 there were 11 fatal shark attacks in Australia. William Joseph Dobson. Taken by shark. Two other men drowned, only 1 man survived Taken by shark, body not recovered. The most recent fatal shark attack in Australia was in May off the coast of Forster, some 137 miles (220 kilometers) north of Meanwhile, personal deterrents cords attached to devices worn around the ankle or waist are available, and while most are ineffective, some that use an electric current stop an incoming shark 60% of the time. AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time), abc.net.au/news/shark-attack-paul-millachip-perth-beach-unpatrolled/100544978, Get breaking news alerts directly to your phone with our app, Help keep family & friends informed by sharing this article, This man advises his clients that elections, rates and mortgages are invalid, Recreational vaping to be banned, all e-cigarettes to be strictly controlled, Qantas names new boss ahead of Alan Joyce's retirement, RBA tipped for rates hold, Treasurer refuses to confirm reported JobSeeker lift for people over 55, but says targeted support in the budget, Selling the furniture and couch surfing: Families forced to make 'impossible' decisions amid fears inflation crisis hitting kids, US updates Russian death toll in Ukraine, Twitter glitch logs users out. WebPer an article from an Australian tabloid: "The horrific mauling shortly before 5pm on Wednesday at Buchan Point near Little Bay Beach is the citys first fatal shark attack in "It's our life and it's our home down here. WebPer an article from an Australian tabloid: "The horrific mauling shortly before 5pm on Wednesday at Buchan Point near Little Bay Beach is the citys first fatal shark attack in almost 60 years. Like a Roman hoard: calls grow for return of Hampshire sharks body parts, Rare 6ft shark washed up then decapitated on Hampshire beach, Never seen anything like it: fishermans video captures shark feeding frenzy, They became illegal overnight: Colombias shark fishing ban turns locals into criminals, Florida still worlds shark bite capital but attacks on humans lowest in decade, Extinction crisis of sharks and rays to have devastating effect on other species, study finds, Conservationists hail US plan to ban shark fin trade, Discovered in the deep: the extraordinary sawshark with a weapon-like snout, Ancient megalodon shark could eat a whale in a few bites, research suggests, Swimmer bitten by shark while snorkelling off coast of Cornwall. Whats unusual is not the number of interactions, but the number of people who died. Research from the Florida Museum of Natural History and the American Elasmobranch Society found there were 73 unprovoked shark bite incidents in 2021 globally and 39 provoked bites. 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. His wife, who did not wish to be named, told Australian broadcasters of her gratefulness for the efforts of teenagers on a nearby boat who helped raise the alarm. The rip pulled the visiting Australian just passed the waves beyond the surf lineup. The number of shark attacks across the globe is up from 2020, which saw 52 confirmed bites. All rights reserved. "People need to be aware that wherever there's small fish, there's big fish and wherever there's big fish there's a likelihood there could be a shark in the area.". I would say 75% of the time, he answers. So thats the fear factor. Its a bit like immigration policy, he says, in that theres a bunch of politicians who play the fear of the unknown card. Are the seas off Australia suddenly awash with sharks? hide caption. Dave Pearson, who was bitten by a bull shark in New South Wales in 2011, says that surfers, who have always seen the odd fin, are becoming warier. Lifeguards attempted to launch a boat, but were slowed by the rough waters. "Aerial surveillance is important, detection methodologies are important, and also the responses that we provide. In the morning. Terri Irwin has ditched her signature blonde locks for darker hair, debuting the new look at The Explorers Club Annual Dinner in New York. Both locations are marked on the 2021 Shark Attack Ma. "I think we should be called the meerkats this morning," he told ABC Radio Perth. "Unfortunately, this person had suffered catastrophic injuries as a result of the attack and there was nothing paramedics could do when we arrived on scene," NSW Ambulance inspector Lucky Phrachanh said in a statement. Thankfully only one of the sharks teeth had penetrated the surfers thick wetsuit and his injury was minor. We are interested in the influence of tides, temperature, salinity, moon phase, changing currents, seasonality, time of day and the effects that these parameters, both individually and in combination, have on different species of sharks. Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. He was pulled from the water but died despite the efforts of bystanders and emergency workers to revive him. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. More people were killed in shark attacks in Australia than any other nation in 2021, new data has revealed. A surfer carries his board into the water next to a sign declaring a shark sighting on Sydney's Manly Beach, Australia, November 24, 2015. For the past half century, the average annual death toll has been one. In 2021 Australian They Will Only 'Bite'. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you. The victims ranged from teenage surfers to spear fishermen to veteran divers. Have the oceans apex predators somehow become more dangerous? "Shark bites dropped drastically in 2020 due to the pandemic." It lessens the severity of a bite, meaning that, crucially, it can reduce blood loss. We are committed to understanding the behaviors of sharks to better understand them. Even if the high fatality count can be chalked up to the bad luck of being caught too far from aid, theres a troubling long-term statistic: the overall number of shark bites in Australia is increasing. Around 5 p.m. Marlow Read more. Increase in sharks a 'reality' but rise in tuna not to blame for fatal attack in regional South Australia, Follow our live blog for the latest from the Met Gala, Catch up with The Loop, your quick wrap of this morning's news, Keep up with the latest ASX and business news. Even if mitigation measures do not represent the most efficient allocation of resources, they can be effective. Catch up with The Loop, 'Until we meet in heaven': Maryborough community comes to grips with triple fatality as loved ones remembered, Perfect storm brewing for housing market and it could make buying your own home a pipedream, Celebrities arrive at the Met Gala for fashion's biggest night, Paul Millachip, 57, was attacked during his regular morning swim, Mr Millachip was swimming about 50 metres off the coast when the shark attacked, 'A great father': WA shark bite victim named as wife thanks Fremantle locals and police, Teens witness shark attack off WA beach, search for victim continues, Clare desperately wanted to stop drinking but she couldn't make it stick. The Perthbeach where a swimmer was fatally attacked by a great white shark was not patrolled at the time of the attack while Perth's spotter helicopter was scouring beaches about 80 kilometres away. This stems from confusion about how the International Shark Attack Files use this term to classifying shark attacks. I wanted to thank also the eyewitnesses theres a number of eyewitnesses who have given very, very valuable accounts and thats helped piece together whats happened, so we can be very clear that it was actually Paul involved. Fishing activity is known to attract sharks, primarily because fish caught on lines struggle and generate vibrations that bring sharks in. These are ungovernable events, and governments job is to govern bad things. Updated 12.8.21 A surfer was bitten by a shark To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Each one has an outsize impact and sticks in peoples minds. Paul Millachip, 57, was attacked during his regular morning swim at Port Beach on Saturday,and beaches in the area were immediately closed for the weekend. Updated Jan. 10. The first fatal shark attack of 2021 has been reported in New Zealand. Kaelah Marlow,19, was off Waih Beach, in western Bay of Plenty Jan. 7. Around 5 p.m. Marlow was swimming with friends, when according to a witness, she was pulled out by a rip current. [3], The Australian Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts states precautions which can be taken to reduce the risk of shark attacks. Two shark attacks have been recorded in Australiaso far. The ISAF notes the number of unprovoked shark bites in 2021 is "extremely low", especially when you consider the amount of people across the world who are in the water every year. It knocked her off her board and clamped on to her leg, readjusting its grip three times. Fatal shark encounters in Australia are higher than ever. Thank you for your feedback. [4] These include avoiding swimming far from the shore, at the mouth of a river or on drop-offs to deeper water; avoiding swimming in dirty water, alone or with domestic animals, near people fishing, or at dusk or night; and to leave the water if schools of fish behave erratically or group in large numbers. Read more. Ken Crew lost his leg and died. It was Sydneys first deadly shark mauling in 60 years. Shark bites surged in 2021, rebounding from a drop earlier in the pandemic "Unfortunately, this person had suffered catastrophic injuries as a result of the attack and Chris' life was saved when his friends wrapped a leg rope as a tourniquet until Blowes was air lifted to the Royal Adelaide Hospital. The public will often be oblivious to traffic accidents or drownings, but everyone in Australia will know if a great white has felled a surfer. Shark bites surged in 2021, rebounding from a drop earlier in the pandemic, 2 Australian States Say Their Sharks Will No Longer 'Attack.' The annual report is put together by the Florida Museum of Natural History. WebInternational Shark Attack File manager Tyler Bowling pointed out that 52 bites in 2020 were the lowest documented in more than a decade. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. And they did not call her experience an attack. They quickly alerted emergency servicesas well as those in the water to what had happened, earning praise from authorities and beachgoers. "The tuna move too fast for sharks in the wild they have to move at above a body length per-second to survive," he said. No one likes to hear that sharks swim in the ocean and we need to be careful. So, he says, politicians blame the shark, cook up erroneous theories like that of the rogue beast with a taste for human flesh, implement ineffective measures like shark nets, or promote culling. "Shark bites dropped drastically in 2020 due to the pandemic," ISAF manager Tyler Bowling said in a statement. More significantly, climate change is heating the waters off Australias east coast. Simon Nellist, 35, died when he was attacked by a white shark believed to be about 4m in length at Little Bay last February. Actress Marcia Hathaway, who was 32 at the time, died after a shark bit her twice on the leg while she was standing in murky waters just 30 inches deep in Sugarloaf Bay. The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes. Around 5 p.m. Marlow was swimming with friends, when according to a witness, she was pulled out by a rip current. columbia city baseball roster hemp seed oil shampoo drug test shark attack sydney 2022 video. First published on May 18, 2021 / 6:39 AM. More southern bluefin tuna in waters off the south-east coast of South Australia is unlikely to be the reason for a suspected fatal shark attack that killed Victorian snorkeller Duncan Craw, says a fishing industry leader. The first fatal shark attack of 2021 has been reported in New Zealand. Kaelah Marlow,19, was off Waih Beach, in western Bay of Plenty Jan. 7. According to Tracking Sharks, there have been 18 shark attack bites so far this year- three of them fatal. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Six months on, Doyle, an environmental scientist, holds up her leg and points to where the shark latched on to her knee and calf, leaving her with an impressive teeth-shaped scar. Its certainly a reality check. In the case of Simon Nellist, there were people fishing nearby. In Queensland there has not been a fatal attack on a netted beach since nets were introduced in the 1960s. Mr Millachip was swimming about 50 metres off the coast when the shark attacked, near a group of young people on a boat who saw the encounter unfold and reportedly tried to help him. Millions of Aussies are set to benefit from a new move around how superannuation is paid. "Everybody's looking around, everybody's in shallow water. Discover a world of exciting games, from heart-pumping action to brain-teasing puzzles. Webhow many sharks are killed per year in australia. Classification of the recent shark attack in Australia. Shane van Gisbergen has said the Supercars series is "worse than ever" after revealing he has only committed to Red Bull Ampol until the end of 2024.The two-time defending champion's immediate future in the touring car scene seemed to have been put to rest last week when a "multi-year" contract extension was announced by Triple Eight. Eight people were killed in shark attacks in Australian waters last year, according to the Taronga Conservation Society which records shark fatalities. Max Marsden was surfing at the remote Lucys Beach in Geraldton, Western Australia on Sunday, April 23 when he encountered the bronze whaler. That attacks are rare seems surprising given how often Australians hear about them. [2], Since shark netting began in 1937, the number of deaths from sharks on beaches has been reduced in New South Wales, with only one fatal attack on a netted beach during that time. This is what the experts think will happen. He would later describe it as feeling like punching a ball of muscle. Its difficult to determine, but the east coast population is estimated to be about 5,460. The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user. Local lifesaver Brian Wilcox said the attack was pretty unprecedented. The shark grabbed the side of the surfboard as Minogue tried to punch it in the eye. Then her family intervened, Jock Zonfrillo remembered as an 'incredible chef' and influential member of Australia's culinary landscape, 'You could tell where the Russians had been': These Australians returned to Ukraine to help the country rebuild, Baby with bowel obstruction died after hospital's failures, coroner finds, NT chief minister apologises to outgoing police commissioner over retirement settlement comments, Nouma is an island paradise but for the next year you're not allowed to swim, Police officer holidaying in WA's Kimberley says she's never experienced crime like it, At least six people killed as dust storm causes pile-up on US highway, Tasmania's salmon farm industry has lost its 'social licence', minister says, but it wants it back, US federal department faces environmental lawsuit following SpaceX launch and explosion, Live: Celebrities arrive at the Met Gala for fashion's biggest night, Texas college baseball player accidentally shot during game. In the 1990s there were 82 recorded shark attacks in Australia, which jumped to 161 in the following decade. "With the shift of the fishermen from Port Lincoln, it made me wonder if there hasn't been an upwelling of some kind that supports the krill and the small fish attract the tuna," he said. Lifeguards will patrol the beaches looking for further shark sightings. Webyihong peng update 2021. what happens if you eat a worm in fruit. A swimmer has been killed after sustaining catastrophic injuries in the first fatal shark attack in Sydney since 1963, Australian officials say. Some of the group's members returned on Monday morning, including Gary Worthington. That means sharks are venturing south in search of cooler spots and, of particular note, subtropical tigers and bulls are heading to southern Queensland and northern New South Wales, where many people live. It felt as though the shark was gnawing on her, like a dog with a bone, and it only relented after her husband, Mark Rapley, rained down blows on its head. This story originally appeared in the Morning Edition live blog. All rights reserved. Last year, there were eight fatal attacks in Australia, the highest annual death toll in 90 years. In order to improve our community experience, we are temporarily suspending article commenting. "As soon as they became aware of the incident, they deployed land and water assets and the remaining members at Leighton Beach made other beachgoers aware of the incident.". Any activity that draws sharks into an area where they otherwise would not be, are excluded. Around 11:30 a.m. Minogue was hit on the side by a 9-foot-long shark. Culum Brown, a professor at Sydneys Macquarie University specialising in fish behaviour, says the key statistic is that the total number of shark bites in 2020 non-fatal and fatal was 26, which is about average for recent years. Key points: Tuna industry expert Brian Jeffriess says tuna move too quickly for sharks in the wild Blowes and friends were surfing at Fishery Bay, 35km from Port Lincoln in South Australia when a 6m Great White attacked. Mon 8 Nov 2021 04.05 EST Last modified on Mon 8 Nov 2021 04.33 EST The wife of a man who is believed to have been killed by sharks off Australias west coast has Pearson is the founder of the Bite Club. Reporting has improved, but that only partly accounts for the hike. I saw a shark bite in Florida on TV and now Im going in the water in Sydney, and Im convinced that the odds of a shark bite are greater, because its at the front of my mind, he says. Grab your salt and pour some directly down your drain at night. Australia had three A great white shark was reportedly detected at nearby Main beach on Monday. Marlow was there for about 5 minutes and then began screaming. Attacked while spearfishing and badly bitten around the chest and arm and survived. buss type w 30 amp fuse replacement; Books. The death of a British man fatally mauled by a shark off the coast of Sydney has been classified by experts as a provoked incident.. Simon Nellist, 35, died when he Webyihong peng update 2021. what happens if you eat a worm in fruit. The number of nine unprovoked fatal encounters with sharks also remained high in 2021, with most taking place in the South Pacific. If you did a rational risk analysis of the things youd spend money on, sharks wouldnt make the top 100. The sea animal appeared to have no fins or flippers, leaving one Aussie family wondering what it could be. Mr Jeffriess believes an increase in shark sightings and attacks are just a "reality" right across Australia. NSW police did not elaborate further but said they will prepare a report for the coroner and work with the state Department of Primary Industries to investigate the circumstances surrounding the swimmer's death. Projects; 3D; Testimonials; Recent News; shark attack sydney 2022 video. Today there are more people swimmers, divers, surfers, spear fishers in the water than ever. He said no one initiative alone would fix the issue. A man aged in his 50s has died after being bitten by a shark off Tuncurry Beach in the mid-north coast of New South Wales. A swimmer died after being bitten by a shark at a beach in suburban Sydney, Australian authorities said, marking the first fatal shark attack in the city in nearly 60 years. The idiosyncrasies of ocean upwellings (surges of cold, deep water to the surface), currents and temperatures affect fish distribution, and sharks follow prey. Meeuwig says the chances of a shark nipping are infinitesimally small. Our goal is to create a safe and engaging place for users to connect over interests and passions. Buchan Point is located between Little Bay Beach and Malabar Beach in the locality of Randwick City. Of course, the Bite Clubs members represent rare statistics. He said it was something state governments were going to have to come to terms with and work out how to manage. Its the first confirmed fatal shark attack in Australian waters this year, though its believed another man was killed by a shark off South Australia in January. "It's still early days and obviously everyone's shocked and everyone is still trying to comprehend what is obviously a dreadful and terrible tragedy," he said. Northern Beaches dad Mark Sanguinetti was on a surfing trip with friends when he was fatally mauled by a shark at Tuncurry Beach on "Despite the best efforts of paramedics and bystanders at the scene, the man could not be resuscitated,"NSW Ambulance said in a tweet. The fatal attack followed warnings that shark attacks are increasing. Officers found human remains in the water. This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced. Weve been through in quite a lot of detail what theyve been doing and how the search has panned out, and theyve been extremely thorough and extremely professional and were really, really grateful for that. 'Double-ended' snake spotted on remote Aussie road: 'Amazing find', Crocodile snatches dog in terrifying video footage, Family baffled by 'alien' creature washed up on Aussie beach, Julianne Hough Wore the Ultimate See-Through Dress on Instagram and Fans Are Floored, Pour Salt Down Your Drain At Night, Here's Why, Terri Irwin stuns fans as she debuts dramatic hair transformation, Naomi Watts, 54, Stuns in a Poolside Bikini Photo and Fans Say They Could Not Love This More, Farmer Wants A Wife star's 'mind blowing' move shocks, Popular Mobile Games You Must Play In 2023, Police say video shows woman dragging body of murdered child and dumping it on mothers lawn, Bryansk: Explosion derails train in Russian town near border with Ukraine, Big banks shocking interest rate call: Theyve peaked, Melissa Leong's heartbreaking post before Jock Zonfrillo's death, Oscar Piastri dudded by 'horrible' luck in Azerbaijan Grand Prix 'shame', Princess Charlotte pictured smiling in newly-released photographs ahead of eighth birthday, LeAnn Rimes Posts Never-Before-Seen Photos With Eddie Cibrian to Celebrate Anniversary, Kane Cornes delivers brutal Buddy Franklin truth bomb to Sydney Swans, Budget 2023: Centrelink cash boost for 227,000 Aussies, Girl, 16, took own life at top boarding school after hyper-fixating on first ever detention, Right-wing think tank files lawsuit demanding Prince Harrys immigration records, Budget 2023: Millions of Aussies to get $50k superannuation boost, Supercars 'worse than ever', says defending champion.
Jamie Dinan, Daughter,
Is Jordan Knox Still On Great White Sharks,
Pros And Cons Of Laser Neutering,
Articles F
fatal shark attacks australia 2021
Want to join the discussion?Feel free to contribute!