Debate over shark culling program after attack

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Debate over shark culling program

3News NZ

(Reuters)

(Reuters)

Shark experts say a culling program would not stop fatal attacks in Australia.

The call to cull sharks comes after Ben Linden, 24, became the fifth person to be killed by a shark in Western Australian in just 10 months.

Mr Linden was attacked on Saturday while paddling his surfboard near Wedge Island, 160km north of Perth.

"We have allocated some $14 million extra to get a better understanding of the great white sharks and the reasons why the fatalities are occurring," said State Fisheries Minister Norman Moore. "I wonder if research might tell us that there are now much greater number of great whites than ever before, and maybe we should look at whether they should remain a protected species."

However, Janita Enevoldsen from the Wilderness Society of Western Australia says taking the sharks off the protected species list will not help.

"We need to really understand them and not resort to the neanderthal reaction of a hunt and kill," she told ABC News.

Fisheries officers are trying to locate the shark that attacked Mr Linden. It will be killed if it is found.

3 News

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Comments

18/07/2012 1:46:30 a.m.

George Jackson wrote:

Its just barbaric to just take an animal off the protected species list because we can't just go into its territory without any risks, people are too caught up with the 'Jaws' theory that sharks just want to kill us for no real reason....it is sad to see that people have lost their lives but that's no reason to condemn a species that's been around for millions of years. We are not above other species people know the risks of going in the ocean.

17/07/2012 2:39:30 p.m.

Robin Williams wrote:

It amazes me how these people who I assume are not great ocean users want to protect the killer sharks and claim we are in their enviroment (so deserve to be killed). I bet they would be quite happy killing a venomous snake that threatened their child even though we have taken over their enviroment. Maybe they will change their minds when someone in their family enjoys ocean sports and is threatened by the ever increasing white pointer numbers.

17/07/2012 2:23:41 p.m.

eelkje postma wrote:

when will humans learn that the ocean isnt ours to destroy, and neither are the creatures living in it.. Most surfers and swimmers are aware of the dangers when swimming in these waters.. We are but food, in their territory.. its not personal!!! Its always sad when someone dies no matter how, but being ignoranton the role we play from the sharks perspective is not going to help.. That is why there are very few tigers left in the wild and lions.. we invade their space and expect them to have respect and understanding. they are not people. they are animals..they live on instinct and protect their environment.. but they are not arrogant; that is only a characteristic owned by the human race.

17/07/2012 7:32:47 a.m.

Dave C wrote:

The sharks were in the sea way before humans found it to be recreational. It is their territory ans we are the invaders, who have no right to dictate that they should die. Humans need to get their act together and respect nature.

17/07/2012 5:46:31 a.m.

ndawg wrote:

Sharks are apex predators and remove weak and diseased fishes from the ocean. This results in heathy, stronger fish species. When prefered prey becomes scarce they will try new things. Currently we are fishing down the marine food chain e.g sharks, tuna, anchovies. Here in lies the problem sharks are hungry due to human over fishing and fear of these great creatures, thanks to jaws movies no doubt! I feel for the families of these shark attacks, but culling is not the answer.

16/07/2012 8:17:07 p.m.

Craig F S wrote:

Our lives are full of rules and regulations, we need to abide by them, they are Law! However can I just say that sometimes these rules and regulations create an imbalance. Most Marine Reseves at some stage in their existence create an imbalance, the very thing they are set up to protect usually overtake some other species in that reserve. This has been well proven in New Zealand where Snapper in a Marine reserve are now so abundant that they have killed and eaten all the Kinas (sea eggs ) so what is the answer? The answer is to create a new Marine Reserve somewhere else and close down the one with the imbalance, let a few Snapper get caught, let the Sea Eggs stocks rejuvinate let things rebalance, then make it a reserve again, this should happen about the same time as the Snapper in the second Marine reserve have balanced up the Sea Eggs that had eaten all the Seaweed and natural growth on the rock surfaces. Life is all about balancing things! Are there too many sharks ???? now that they have been protected for so long??

16/07/2012 5:48:18 p.m.

Stella wrote:

When a shark enters your home uninvited you are entitled to kill it

16/07/2012 12:32:38 p.m.

Steve L wrote:

It is ridiculous that these people want white sharks hunted - when will these rednecks realise that we SHARE our planet with some awesome creatures which very rarely attack humans.....yet every one that does (and they are only doing what is natural) get hunted down. Humans kill over 300,000 sharks a year through fishing methods and for the asian food market. they stand no chance if some numbskull wants them hunted just because there have been 5 fatalities in the past year. Mabe they should be encouraging swimmers, surfers, paddle boarders etc to stay out of the known shark territories instead of the typical human repsonse of 'kill everything that is an inconvenience'. we destroy so much and do so little to conserve. I think these people need to wake up and realise that the human race isn't as clever and special as we like to think - and realise we need to share our world and that there are risks involved with entering another creatures domain.

16/07/2012 11:37:39 a.m.

Ruru wrote:

What a selfish species the human race is. We want to use the habitat of , in this case the shark. We destroy its food source by over fishing. We use its home for our recreation and when one kills one of ours (We do not know if it was on purpose or not - maybe the shark was hungry) we hunt it down until we destroy it. More people are killed by cars, alcohol or murder, but we don't say do away with cars/people. We should.

16/07/2012 11:28:45 a.m.

Nick wrote:

Leave the sharks alone. when you go into the sea you are going into their home. THere are risks for everything and a shark attack is a risk.