Egyptian oceanography professor Mahmoud Hanafy has pulled out of the joint American-Egyptian team of experts mandated with studying possible reasons for the recent spate of shark attacks off the southern coast of Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. “We weren't allowed to meet the Americans or consult with them,” Hanafy complained. “What kind of joint team is this?” Meanwhile, at a press conference on Thursday, South Sinai Governor Mohamed Shousha reiterated that he had never aired suspicions that Israel was somehow involved in the attacks, as was reported by certain news agencies. “We've restricted diving and snorkeling activities,” he said. “And we intend to hang nets in order to protect swimmers.” In related news, Tamer Marzouq, director of the Egyptian Tourism Promotion Bureau in Germany, said he had received no cancellations until now of planned vacations to Sharm al-Sheikh. “We have only received phone calls from some patrons asking for more information,” he said. Marzouq went on to explain that some 85 percent of German beach tourists chose to vacation in Hurghada, while the remaining 15 percent generally holiday in Sharm. “The German media has reported that these attacks represent an exception to the rule,“ he said. “But it nevertheless advised against trips to the area.” Translated from the Arabic Edition.
