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The sea has consistently been a major component of Glen Butler's existence.

Over 50 years a wave rider for five decades and, in that time, he explains he seldom concerned himself about sharks.

"You recognize you're venturing into their territory, so you're cautious," the 61-year-old commented.

Yet the surfer's comfort in the ocean was broken recently.

He had ventured for a wave session with his friends one early weekend at the coastal spot in the beach communities north of Sydney. Shortly after Mr Butler exited of the water, fellow surfer the experienced surfer was tragically lost by a great white shark.

"It has disturbed us somewhat," the surfer acknowledges. The victim and his brother his brother were recognized in the beach community, he notes: "Typically you'd say g'day."

The country Highest Risk Place for Shark Attacks

The continent is host to some of the planet's finest coastal areas. Over 80% of the population dwells on the coast, so an early morning swim or wave session is common for thousands of people each day.

Yet there are people who think that common practice is becoming progressively hazardous.

One local is part of this group.

The 66-year-old Sydneysider recollects staring at enormous large predators hauled in by fishing crews as a youngster, during the era the now-protected marine life could still be legally hunted.

Seeing these lifeless creatures dangling by their rear fins caused a "execution-style" sensation, he recounts, but not terror. Marine predators were animals of the deep ocean, he thought, and he boarded in the more shallow bays.

Yet five years ago, his daughter his daughter was attacked by a shark species while diving on the coral reef. Even though she lived through, it made the father worried about the creatures – a concern that escalates with each sensational report about an encounter.

"These things impact me… I'm frightened," he confesses.

Although 'The surfer was only the second person fatally attacked by a shark attack in the city over the past 60 years, it's little comfort to those who regularly use the urban shorelines.

All wave rider spoken to in the time after the victim's fatal encounter said they feel marine predator observations near the coastline are growing increasingly common.

"Sometimes we might have seen a unidentified shape, but it may have been a marine mammal," notes the local. "Now, I observe them regularly."

Several worry that marine predator populations are exploding, after various kinds - including the planet's most lethal shark species, great whites and tiger sharks - were awarded different levels of protection in the nation's oceans.

There's little scientific study on shark numbers to accurately assess either way – but specialists contend an increase in observations doesn't automatically indicate there are more sharks.

Environmental experts indicate that rising sea temperatures are changing the migration and eating behaviors of ocean hunters. But experts note any rise in sightings is primarily because of more and more people venturing into the ocean, and they are enhanced by digital networks.

The likelihood of being attacked by a ocean hunter in Australia is still very low. People are numerous times higher chance to suffer drowning. It is true, however, that the land is a predator encounter hotspot.

It is second only to the America - a land with significantly more the population - for shark bites, and it leads the globe for fatal attacks, based on the global database.

The tracking system only records "spontaneous" encounters – not including those likely prompted by people through activities such as spear fishing – but a more comprehensive database of all recorded shark interactions in the country is maintained by wildlife organization.

It shows that marine incidents have broadly been growing over the past years. Thus far this period there have been several lethal encounters - each spontaneous.

Meshes 'Like a Tissue in a Swimming Area'

The state had been preparing to trial reducing its use of marine barriers – its oldest marine protection approach – when the latest fatal attack took place.

Marine barriers have been employed in NSW since nearly a century and presently are commonly placed on 51 beaches from late winter through to late summer. Aside from the northern state, it is the exclusive area that still uses them.

It's not feasible to fully surround complete coastal areas – marine environments are extremely powerful and would simply sweep the meshes away.

Rather, the shark nets are about 150m long and are positioned a several feet beneath the water's surface. While fastened to the ocean bottom at spots, they don't reach the bottom. So sharks can move over, under and past them.

"It's comparable to throwing a napkin into the swimming area," Research center Professor Chris Pepin-Neff explained.

The state government explains marine barriers are "not designed to establish a full barrier between bathers and predators" but rather seek to "trap certain species" during any {hunts