Surfing great Kelly Slater has called for a "serious" shark cull in the waters off the island of Réunion, after a surfer was killed in the area last week, bringing the number of attacks to 20 since 2011.
The 11-time world champion posted to his Instagram account, saying there was a "clear imbalance happening in the ocean there" and the French government "needs to figure this out ASAP".
According to The Guardian, locals say bull and tiger shark populations have grown since Réunion banned hunting sharks for food in 1999. The ban came amid concerns the sharks' flesh is contaminated with ciguatera, a toxin that causes vomiting, nausea and in some cases, death.
"Honestly, I won't be popular for saying this but there needs to be a serious cull on Réunion and it should happen everyday," Slater said.
"If the whole world had these rates of attack nobody would use the ocean and literally millions of people would be dying like this. The French [government] needs to figure this out ASAP. Twenty attacks since 2011!?"
Slater clarified his position after coming under fire for his comments, defending his record as an "environmental activist" and asking for constructive debate.
"I have been an environmental activist and voice for more campaigns than I can remember," he wrote.
"My heart is in the right place but now I am being vehemently attacked by the people I have most identified with for the majority of my life.
"Humans are the biggest threat to life on earth as most creatures know it. But they are also the most capable and able to fix the issues we face.
"My comments were in reaction to another death of a kid following his passion. I know more about this issues than 99 plus per cent of people commenting yet I still don't know enough.
"I was in no way advocating for a worldwide destruction of any species. In fact, there's a chance many more species of sharks and other sea life could thrive without the over abundance of bull sharks in Réunion Island ravaging the local environment.
"This is not about me having fun and being selfish for my sport. This is a human and environmental issue.
"I have never personally killed even a single shark in my lifetime and am not fronting an effort to do so. So say what you need to say and let's get on with where this needs to go.
"Maybe something good will come of it."
Australian surfer Mick Fanning was attacked by a shark at the J-Bay Open in 2015. He escaped uninjured but shaken after he "punched [the shark] in the back" and scrambled on to the back of a jet-ski.
