A new paper suggests that humans may be responsible for the dwindling numbers of white sharks off the coast of South Africa, rather than the efficient hunting skills of killer whales (Orcinus orca). The researchers found that humans are removing an estimated 44 white sharks per year from coastal South Africa through the KwaZulu-Natal shark control program and as bycatch of longline shark fisheries. The study also found that the anthropogenic white shark death toll among the South African population is far higher than known orca kills. The researchers warn that the declining white shark population could have serious implications for the species globally.