Resolving Shark Attack Paradox

Researchers have been puzzled by the fact that, although the number of reported shark attacks has increased dramatically in recent years, the overall population of sharks has simultaneously decreased. This situation seems contradictory because one might expect an increase in attacks to correlate with a growing shark population. To further complicate matters, conservationists argue that more frequent human interaction with sharks has led to an increased reporting of attacks, not necessarily an actual increase in encounters.

Which of the following, if true, most helps to resolve this apparent contradiction?