Sharks on the increase
THE recent shark attacks in the Whitsundays have restarted people thinking about sharks, and hopefully, as a parallel problem to crocodiles.
Some newspapers jumped to a conclusion that authorities were hunting the sharks responsible. People believed the tabloids and people were asking how the government would know which shark was responsible.
Reality is the government would only act to reduce probability of attack, never a targeted hunt.
Part of the issue is that there are most likely more sharks than ever before.
It’s a financial growth area for scientists and interest groups from NGOs to apply for “save the sharks” funding.
Reality is that shark fishing in Queensland has been radically reduced, but not from stock assessment reasons.
All fishing sectors are complaining along the coast how their line catches are plummeting due to shark depredation.
The reasons are arguably convoluted, but with more sharks eating easy fish pickings, the basic tenet of biology will occur, namely their numbers will increase with increased food availability.
In 2002 total Australian white shark mortality was over 400 dropping to maybe 50 odd for decades after under management plans.
That alone would have permitted a major population increase, and probably has, but no research is being funded to assess that. Current debate should be accepting population increase and not using every subterfuge to not admit numbers have increased. Geoff McPherson, Cairns 1493: Christopher Columbus sets sail from Cadiz, Spain, on his second voyage of discovery to the New World. 1956: The first transatlantic telephone cable is put into service, from Oban, Scotland to Clarenville, Newfoundland. 1974: Scientists warn that continued use of aerosol sprays will cause ozone depletion. 1997: The British Thrust SuperSonic car sets a new land speed record in Nevada of 714.1 mph (1,149.2km/h). 2000: At the Sydney Olympics, Cathy Freeman (above) takes gold in the women’s 400m. 2005: US actor and comedian Don Adams, best known for his role as the bumbling secret agent Maxwell Smart in the television espionage spoof Get Smart, dies aged 82. 2017: Richmond champion Dustin Martin takes out the 2017 Brownlow Medal with a record-breaking 36 votes.