Strand adds to shark shield

EXTRA shark protection measures will be deployed off The Strand in Townsville, days after the State Government pulled dozens of drumlines from around the region.

Fisheries Minister Mark Furner will today announce three drumlines will be added off The Strand, bringing the total to 12.

It comes after a shock court decision last week caused the State Government to remove all shark drumlines from within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park area, including 42 off the beaches of Magnetic Island and three off Pallarenda.

But according to latest available figures, a total of three sharks were caught on drumlines off The Strand in 2017, including a 2.2m tiger shark, which was euthanased in December.

A total of 39 sharks were caught on the 45 shark drumlines around Magnetic Island and off Pallarenda Beach between January and May this year, including 13 tiger sharks and seven bull sharks.

New restrictions means sharks caught on drumlines in the reef marine park area that were still alive would need to be released.

The LNP have criticised the State Government pulling the drumlines and demanding federal counterparts make im

IN MUCH OF QUEENSLAND’S NORTH, RELEASING SHARKS OFFSHORE IS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS … MARK FURNER

mediate legislative changes instead of deploying technologically superior shark drumlines that would have been allowed under the new rules.

Mr Furner said the State Government was committed to trialling alternatives but didn’t believe that SMART drumlines, which have been trialled in other states, were appropriate in the Great Barrier Reef.

“In these trials, sharks can be relocated offshore safely but in much of Queensland’s north, releasing sharks offshore is potentially dangerous because many of these areas are important tourism destinations used by swimmers or other water users,” he said.

The additional equipment, according to Mr Furner, is to ensure swimmer safety by increasing protection measures at beaches where the measure is allowed.

Townsville MP Scott Stewart said the three extra drumlines were a sign that the Government was “100 per cent committed” to swimmer safety.