Seven facts that will change the way you think about sharks

Australian surfer Mick Fanning fought off a shark as he competed in a competition in South Africa on Sunday.

As it dragged him down he escaped by punching the animal and swimming away:

Sharks have a fearsome reputation, but the statistics show the real killers are humans.

2,667

Number of confirmed unprovoked shark attacks around the world between 1580-2013, according to the International Shark Attack file

495

Number of fatalities as a result of unprovoked shark attacks between 1580-2013

100million

Estimated number of sharks killed every year, 73million of which are used for shark fin soup

145

Number of countries that engage in the trade of shark products

98%

Percentage by which some shark populations have decreased over the past 50 years

1/3

Proportion of all ocean-going sharks now on the internationally recognised red list of threatened species

400

Approximate number of shark species that have been discovered