Study: More Sharks Bite People in Hawaii, but Risk Minuscule

Juliun Perkins who was bitten by a shark on Sept. 8, 2018, while surfing outside of Pounders in Laie, sits on his surfboard that he was on during the attack, on Kailua beach in Oahu, Hawaii, on Feb. 22, 2019. Cindy Ellen Russell/Honolulu Star-Advertiser via AP

HONOLULU—The rate of shark bites in Hawaii has been increasing slightly in recent years, but the risk remains extremely low—roughly 5-in-1 million—according to new research.

Recently published research that looked at 55 years of global data showed shark bites around the world are highly variable from year to year, but in some locations, including Hawaii, the rates have increased in recent decades, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Friday.