Australian “shark attack” girl actually nibbled by mackerel?

Photograph by NMFS/Southwest Fisheries Science Center

A ten-year-old girl that was suspected to have been the victim of a shark attack, may actually have been bitten by a mackerel, according to reports.

The girl was rushed to hospital in New South Wales after being bitten on the wrist whilst swimming off a beach as Lennox Head, with authorities closing the beach as a precaution.

However, reports from locals after the attack revealed that it was more likely a mackerel that had bitten the girl, and the beach closure merely panic from local authorities.

This attack comes as Western Australia, on the other side of the country, has instituted a shark cull under the premise of protecting swimmers and surfers, much to the chagrin of environmental groups who note that the 10 shark attacks off Western Australia in 2013 was fewer than the yearly average of 12.3.