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Chatham Closes Oceanside Beaches After Shark Sightings

The Cape Cod town of Chatham has closed all of its oceanside beaches after additional shark sightings there over the weekend.

Dan Tobin, Chatham's director of Parks and Recreation, says while there hasn't been a fatal shark attack on the Cape since the 1930s, beach closings are a necessary precaution when sharks are killing seals close to shore.

"We are just taking precautions to keep swimmers out of the water on those east-facing beaches. This is a precaution that we actually have to take in the past couple of seasons now, so this is not new for Chatham," Tobin said.

"I believe what's happening with sharks is well known by the public now and we just continue to monitor this and take actions necessary for their safety."

The town harbormaster had already banned swimming at night and swimming near seals

This program aired on August 16, 2011. The audio for this program is not available.

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