west australia's slaughter of sharks

[Ken Gargett]

be very interested in the thoughts of any of our west aussie members on this. or anyone else.

also be interested in what the feeling is over there. is this supported or not?

it is a much more difficult issue (for me, at least) than something like the slaughter of whales. sharks are obviously vital to the eco-system and the huge reduction in numbers (obviously not from this program but from the slaughter for shark fin soup etc) is creating major problems.

and a number of these sharks are actually protected.

on the face of it, it would seem a crazy thing but the danger they pose puts this into a different category.

a few years back i went fishing with the head of queensland's shark program. some of the stories he told would stop you ever putting a toe back in the water (tho it didn't stop us at the time). we have nets and he was saying that something like a third of the sharks caught in the nets have been caught by those nets from thee beach side. there is also a theory that sharks learn that other sharks and fish/turtles/dolphins etc get caught there and so it attracts them.

it does seem to me to be a barbaric and silly response (yes, i'm sure i'd feel very differently if i had a friend taken) but i am sure others feel the opposite and i can understand that (whereas with something like whales, i cannot).

it does certainly seem much more like a tiger shark than a bull shark but hard to tell.

and i also remember my mate telling me that it was amazing how many dolphins get caught and injured on the drumlines.

this is a statement from sea shepherd which may be of interest - either way. it is, of course, strongly skewed to one view.

In the early hours of yesterday morning the fisherman hired to perform Barnett's dirty work of killing protected species, went out to check Barnett's drum lines as part of the new shark cull program off the Western Australian Coast.

As each drum line was checked, it was found to be empty, however on the last drum line the fisherman found a beautiful 3 metre plus female Tiger shark. It’s difficult to tell how much pain she would have been in for up to 12 hours with Barnett's brutal hook through her mouth. She was then brought alongside the boat by the fisherman and shot four times in the head before she finally died. She was then guttered and dragged out to sea and dumped as a means to hide Barnett's dirty work from the world. It was a cruel, painful and unnecessary death.

If this is the way that we treat our Australian battlers that work tirelessly to maintain the balance in our oceans, the health and integrity of humanities life support systems, then on this Australia day I am ashamed to be Australian.

How can we condemn Japan for the indiscriminate killing of whales and dolphins and do this to our precious protected marine life here in Australia? This method is utterly cruel and inhumane and these animals can take many hours to die.

The Tiger shark is a solitary, mostly nocturnal hunter, with a diet ranging from crustaceans, fish, birds, seals, turtles, squid and sea snakes. Males reach sexual maturity at 2.3 metres to 2.9 metres and females at 2.5 to 3.5 metres. Females mate around once every 3 years with young developing inside the mother’s body for up to 16 months, with litters ranging from 10 to 82 pups. Pups are around 50 cm at birth and are vulnerable to predation. Tiger sharks are on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, listed as Near-Threatened and don't live that long (over 12 years). Given that they don't reproduce every year and have only a few pups that make it to maturity and given that they are listed as near threatened due to finning, the targeting of large breeding sized Tiger sharks by the Barnett Government is without a doubt a cull. There is no other way to look at this.

Sea Shepherd Australia is also questioning the competency of the fisherman as he has been adamant that the shark he caught was in fact a Bull shark, however a number of shark experts and researchers, including Blair Ranford has confirmed the species as a Tiger shark.

Link to the video:http://tenplay.com.au/news/perth/2014/1/26/sadness-at-sea

Its day one of Barnett's shark cull program that was given the green light with an exemption from the Federal Environment Minister and the toll is set as one magnificent female Tiger shark. Barnett's controversial program went ahead after Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt granted WA an exemption under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, allowing the protected Great White shark to be killed.

The WA Government has been forced to rope in its own Department of Fisheries officers to do the work after commercial operators pulled out following threats from activists.

Basically, the Australian Government has exempted itself from its own laws to kill Australian iconic protected species, the full details can be found here: http://www.environment.gov.au/epbc/notices/pubs/158-statement-shark-drum-line-deployment.pdf

Sea Shepherd Australia has been working with the Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) at legal action against the State Government, however due to the exemption from the Federal Environment Minister, the goal posts have been moved so we are seeking further advice.

We are now asking all of our supporters to come out again this Saturday, the 1st of February to be a massive voice for the sharks and attend one of the nationwide rallies below.

We need to all come out in force and send a clear message to Barnett and the coalition government that we vote and do not want this assault on our precious marine life to continue.

We will not rest until our precious marine life and our sharks that maintain our marine ecosystems and life supporting oceans, are given the respect and protection they deserve for the sake of future generations.

For an ocean without sharks, is a planet without people, please come and show your support at one of the rallies below:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=658026924238709&set=a.443991345642269.96551.265523503489055&type=1&theater

[Diamondog]

Saw a doc on the slaughter of sharks for the fins, very sad. I always feel like a hippocrit though as im a meat eater and think nothing of the slaughter of pigs, chickens and cows. The slaughter of the sharks though was very bad, killing them for fin alone...

[Jeremy Festa]

Yes, it is a conflicting issue for me too.

I surf, and I am scared every time I go in the water.

I don't think we should be culling/killing them.

But I don't want people being eaten either.

Nets and drum lines do a little bit of good, but a lot of bad too.

I know a guy that was bitten by a little tiger shark paddling over to Old Woman Island for a surf. We all used to do it.

Anyway, he is now a legend. And has a rad scar on his arm.

Bottom line for me is, if you get taken by a shark, it has to be the most awesome way to go. Way better than a car crash.

[Profmd]

Saw a doc on the slaughter of sharks for the fins, very sad. I always feel like a hippocrit though as im a meat eater and think nothing of the slaughter of pigs, chickens and cows. The slaughter of the sharks though was very bad, killing them for fin alone...

Have to agree 100%.

The slaughter of shares to cut off their fins and then throw them overboard to die just bugs me to no end.

[Fuzz]

Personally my thoughts are, if you wanna be lunch for a shark, go swim in the ocean. If you don't, hang out in your pool. You can limit the risk of shark attack with nets, shark patrol, etc, but sooner or later somebody is gonna be dinner. It's their environment and they are the apex predator.

Now, if a shark was trying to eat me at my local Subway, well that's a different story.

[Jeremy Festa]

Saw a doc on the slaughter of sharks for the fins, very sad. I always feel like a hippocrit though as im a meat eater and think nothing of the slaughter of pigs, chickens and cows. The slaughter of the sharks though was very bad, killing them for fin alone...

I would have to say this is a little bit off track. Sharks a undomesticated, and apex predators.

They kill them for fins alone, as the meat of most sharks over 3 or 4 feet have heavy metals in them due to biomagnification. Which put simply is, little fish are eaten by medium fish and medium fish are eaten by big fish, and so on and so forth.

[Jeremy Festa]

Personally my thoughts are, if you wanna be lunch for a shark, go swim in the ocean. If you don't, hang out in your pool. You can limit the risk of shark attack with nets, shark patrol, etc, but sooner or later somebody is gonna be dinner. It's their environment and they are the apex predator.

Now, if a shark was trying to eat me at my local Subway, well that's a different story.

Spot on!

[Croz71]

I'm totally against it Ken...

Born and bred in WA.

I have been surfing and swimming at the beach since I can remember. I don't know of any surfer's or scuba divers who support the killing of sharks.

IMHO the public who do support this, probably never even go to the beach.

It's not as if the sharks are coming on land with AK47's and going on a killing rampage.

We are entering their kingdom and we must respect that.

Allan

[Diamondog]

I would have to say this is a little bit off track. Sharks a undomesticated, and apex predators.

They kill them for fins alone, as the meat of most sharks over 3 or 4 feet have heavy metals in them due to biomagnification. Which put simply is, little fish are eaten by medium fish and medium fish are eaten by big fish, and so on and so forth.

Actually most if not all the sharks killed were small, i am guessing babies for the most part

[Ken Gargett]

i remember driving down the beach on fraser one day and seeing a small crowd. we stopped. they were around a large shark, dead, around 15 feet. it had been washed up on the beach. missing its dorsal fin. i'd have happily fed the those that did this to some of its cousins.

terrific to see celebs like jackie chan, the baketballer, maggie q all campaigning against shark fin soup.

one thing that surprised me and perhaps others can confirm or not - i read where the chinese name for shark fin soup doesn't actually mention 'shark fin'. so many believe it a delicacy but have no idea what exactly it is. getting consumers to understand this is half the battle.

[Ken Gargett]

Actually most if not all the sharks killed were small, i am guessing babies for the most part

if you are referring to the cull, it is actually limited (i believe) to sharks over 3 metres. so only larger ones.

[Diamondog]

if you are referring to the cull, it is actually limited (i believe) to sharks over 3 metres. so only larger ones.

I cant remember the name of the doc but i believe it was off the coast of africa, obviously different place but horrendous to see

[Ken Gargett]

in the tiny time this has been up, it seems that the cull is not widely supported. yet one has to assume that it does have a lot of support somewhere because there is no way a politician does something like this without thinking it is good for votes.

[DrunkenMonkey]

Personally my thoughts are, if you wanna be lunch for a shark, go swim in the ocean. If you don't, hang out in your pool. You can limit the risk of shark attack with nets, shark patrol, etc, but sooner or later somebody is gonna be dinner. It's their environment and they are the apex predator.

Now, if a shark was trying to eat me at my local Subway, well that's a different story.

I agree completely. Killing grizzlies because they're a danger to hikers, killing wolves because they're a danger to your herds, killing sharks because they're a danger to surfers; it's all totally insane. If you don't want to take the risk, get off their damn lawn.

[Lotusguy]

An interesting side note: shark fin trade and shark fin soup are banned in California along with Foie Gras.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[OZCUBAN]

Personally I find the whole thing abhorrent

It's their ocean their domain if you swim you take your chances

Simple

[WarriorPrincess]

Thank you everyone who is against it

I was just discussing this last night when they showed the shark being caught on the news, the ocean is their home.

I asked the question last night, "would you defend your home if someone entered it uninvited" the answer straight away was "yes".

They know no better, so if you choose to enter their home you will be at risk.

it is sad those who have lost their lives but they would have have known there is always some risk before they entered the water.

[El Presidente]

Seriously?

I am all for Drum lines and nets on beaches. I can live without the stalking of sharks however.

If I want to swim or surf in Oz then I have safe options. If I want to go outside of those safe options then I take the risk. I have to be honest in that Sharks scare the bejesus out of me. Too many times have I seen that dark shadow go under the board at Moffats or Straddie. I paddle in...quickly...splashing as little as I can.

if I ever lose a leg to a shark then all bets are off! There will be no "it is their domain" soliloquy . I will be eating shark fin for the rest of my life and gladly.

[cigcars]

I'm much happier reading Lotusguy's statement about foie gras being banned (at least in California anyway). I truly hate the horror these poor geese and ducks are put through force feeding them, and then exploding their livers. Horrible...Horrible.

[Ken Gargett]

I'm much happier reading Lotusguy's statement about foie gras being banned (at least in California anyway). I truly hate the horror these poor geese and ducks are put through force feeding them, and then exploding their livers. Horrible...Horrible.

not that i would ever want to be seen on the side of the butchers but i once saw a video from a farm in strasbourg, i think, - home of the great foie gras. they chock feed these geese daily. what was interesting was as soon as it was feeding time, the geese came from everywhere and fought over the food. there was nothing cruel about it at all (what may happen later may not have been pretty but then not sure any abattoir is a work of art). they couldn't get enough.

[Ken Gargett]

Seriously?

I am all for Drum lines and nets on beaches. I can live without the stalking of sharks however.

If I want to swim or surf in Oz then I have safe options. If I want to go outside of those safe options then I take the risk. I have to be honest in that Sharks scare the bejesus out of me. Too many times have I seen that dark shadow go under the board at Moffats or Straddie. I paddle in...quickly...splashing as little as I can.

if I ever lose a leg to a shark then all bets are off! There will be no "it is their domain" soliloquy . I will be eating shark fin for the rest of my life and gladly.

well thank you, vic hislop.

from what i understand, not that they can make it official, drum lines and nets have very little effect.

yes, sharks scare the absolute crap out of me too. seeing a big shark in the gutter between you and the beach, with a bag of bleeding fish, is not a nice feeling.

but senseless slaughter hardly the answer.

[johnhenry]

The sharks are always going to lose.... Because the Jets are going to have there way tonight!

[Ken Gargett]

The sharks are always going to lose.... Because the Jets are going to have there way tonight!

suddenly we have 'west side story'?

[sharks]

Personally I find the whole thing abhorrent

It's their ocean their domain if you swim you take your chances

Simple

x 2..

I'm for the sharks .

[DrunkenMonkey]

As long as Natalie Wood is involved, I'm for it.