Tidal bores can be dangerous. Certain rivers such as the Seine in France, the Petitcodiac River in Canada, and the Colorado River in Mexico to name a few, have had a sinister reputation in association with tidal bores. In China, despite warning signs erected along the banks of the Qiantang River, a number of fatalities occur each year by people who take too much risk with the bore. The tidal bores affect the shipping and navigation in the estuarine zone, for example, in Papua New Guinea (in the Fly and Bamu Rivers), Malaysia (the Benak in the Batang Lupar), and India (the Hooghly River bore).
On the other hand, tidal bore-affected estuaries are rich feeding zones and breeding grounds of several forms of wildlife. The estuarine zones are the spawning and breeding grounds of several native fish species, while the aeration induced by the tidal bore contributes to the abundant growth of many species of fish and shrimp (for example in the Rokan River, Indonesia). The tidal bores also provide opportunity for recreational inland surfing, such as the Seven Ghosts bore on the Kampar River, Indonesia.