A fishing trip turned tragic on Saturday when a fisherman from Bua was killed by a shark that brutally severed his left arm. Marika Nasau, 22, succumbed to blood loss following the attack, as reported by The Fiji Times on May 19, 1997.
According to police in Nabouwalu, Nasau, who hailed from Naivaka Village on Bua’s north-west coast, was out fishing with 14 other villagers. They set off from Naivaka in the morning, heading to Motonisici Reef, near Yaqaga Island, where the incident occurred around 2 p.m. This attack marked the first of its kind reported by fishermen in that area.
Eyewitness accounts revealed that Nasau was diving approximately 25 meters away from the group when the shark struck. The other villagers heard loud splashes and saw the shark’s fin emerging from the water. They witnessed Nasau struggling to escape but were powerless to intervene as the attack continued. His right arm was left severely injured and partially bitten off. Efforts to rescue him were hampered by the shark, which posed a threat to their safety.
Inspector Selanai Raumakita from the Central Police Station noted that the incident was initially reported to the Nabouwalu Police Station, later communicated to the Labasa Police Station. Villagers confirmed that the shark was sizable, making it difficult to identify the species due to the rapid nature of the attack.
Maciu Logabalavu, the Director of Fisheries, stated that shark attacks in this area are uncommon, marking it as the first fatal incident off the Bua coast. The last recorded fatal attack occurred in 1995 in Yasawa, where a 69-year-old man was bitten by a mako shark. Many fishermen from the nearby islands and coastal villages rely on diving and fishing for their livelihoods.