Shark cull no answer to attacks on people
BAITING and killing sharks after two life-threatening attacks in the Whitsundays gives swimmers a false sense of security and won’t prevent more bites, environmentalists say.
Sea Shepherd Australia and Humane Society International say human safety is paramount but that killing three tiger sharks in Cid Harbour in response to attacks on a Tasmanian woman and a Melbourne girl is not the answer.
“Public support for these shark control methods is dropping off,” HSI marine campaigner Lawrence Chlebeck said.
“We acknowledge the need for the use of technology and reducing these sorts of incidences … but drumlines have been in the water since 1962, that’s 60 years ago now. The technology is there and we’ve moved on.”
Fisheries Queensland has dropped baited hooks into the waters where Justine Barwick, 46, and Hannah Papps, 12, were bitten less than 24 hours apart last week. Both victims in last week’s attacks remain in hospitals in Brisbane.
The state government insists killing the sharks is in the interest of public safety despite admitting it will never know if they caused the injuries. The Liberal National Party agrees it’s the right move.
“I think the action that is being taken at the moment is appropriate, we need to find this killer shark,” LNP deputy leader Tim Mander said on Sunday.
But Mr Chlebeck and Sea Shepherd’s Jonathan Clark say personal shark deterrent devices, aerial spotters, drone surveys, public education and alert systems play a bigger role in preventing attacks.
“Stop the nonsense about speaking of ‘effectiveness’ only in terms of their ability to kill sharks,” Mr Clark said. “Making beaches actually safer is much harder and unrelated to their ability to kill sharks.”