Hysteria over shark risk to swimmers unfounded

[charlie09]

From yesterdays CM. Its a bit of a read but IMO worth it. Especially the part about the police setting up traps for d**kheads. http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/../yabbfiles/Templates/Forum/default/grin.gif

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/s...6-3102,00.html (http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,26294706-3102,00.html)

Cheers

[Geoff-]

yes love the d**khead management program. great idea!! ;D

[FNQCairns]

Begs the question...are "rare" claims over great white sharks as much of a con job as was the relative 'rare' claims (still made?,all very quiet on this front lately) made over the grey nurse shark?

The GNS history has shown beyond a doubt that GNS claims where simply a vehicle the masses would swallow to politicly achieve an ideological end for state fishery's management and their zealot comrades.

cheers fnq

[sleepygreg]

GNS were only ever under pressure from divers years ago who used to spear them unmercifully with powerheads, used to make me ill watching the numerous docos on tv with these so called 'icons' of the underwater scene killing hundreds of sharks going about their daily business. I have yet to meet a fisho that has actually caught a GNS, and thats from over 35 years of fishing in their 'patch'. Not saying that none have been caught on line, as I am sure some would have, just havent met anyone who has. GW's have different habits and habitat....have seen plenty, hooked a few, never landed one, had the $hit scared out of me by a few...they are mean suckers...but absolutely majestic creatures. The quicker we develop a method of discouraging them from coming near the swimming beaches (without killing them) the better. Was so glad when they were taken off the tag lists by GFAA.

Greg

[cuzzamundi]

Great article...props to the author! I think the di&*head siphening is a great idea! Furthermore, I love how they exaggerate the size of the shark that's bitten the dead one. It would be 13 foot max. A six metre white would swallow that thing whole, and have a bite radius much larger than the one in the pic. Mass hysteria yet again. Good article.

Cuzza

[oldboot]

Don't get Ern Grant started on this one......he is the one charged with originaly setting up the shark netting and drum line netowrk in QLD, when he worked for the Harbours and Marine.

Then until this day he is plain in his opposition to the practice.

Ern would be as qualified as anybody to comment on the matter...... and from my understanding he would say the the practice is ineffective and poses a significant risk to other spicies.

cheers

[Razgo-]

why can't they use the same technology that is used to repel sharks with those ankle bands? no good?

wouldn't need nets for that just anchor them down below so they just float a few feet above the sea bed.

[Hornblower]

Isn't it amazing the hysteria that goes with sharks. I watched the channel seven news last night with my 14 year old and they stated "Great White terrorises swimmers and surfers on Stradbroke Island." I said to him, "It's not terrorising anyone, just getting on minding its own bloody business." He thought about this for a moment and then said, "Well Dad, maybe the reporters think it will highjack a tinny and fly it into a beach full of swimmers". I couldn't help but smile at his eloquence;)

[ashh]

why can't they use the same technology that is used to repel sharks with those ankle bands? no good?

wouldn't need nets for that just anchor them down below so they just float a few feet above the sea bed.

The cost would be unbeleivably high for these units, the manufacturer of the 'shark sheild', the smaller personal shark repellent device cant keep up with the demand for them, so there is no doubting this type of technology works.

It makes you wonder why though, when they say it would cost too much, what they are thinking when they see another whale stuck in the nets. They dont even see all the 'other' marine life that gets trapped and killed daily, they really have no idea.

It would be win win all round and a worthy investment for the goldcoast to spend the dollars and get these units developed and deployed along the coast and piss the nets off all together because: (IMHO)

1) the tourists will still feel 'safe' swimming at the beach so will still visit here rather than somewhere else
2) the whales and other marine life wont be needlessly harmed or killed allowing them to carry on doing what they do without needless human interaction
3) tourism to the coast wont be affected as there will be plenty of whales to see for the whale watching business.....
4) the money saved from the service and repair to the nets can go towards the upkeep and maintenance of the devices.
5) there is 100% guarantee of keeping the sharks away from the coastal beaches rather than a net that doesn't go all the way along the beach or to the top or bottom of the ocean, besides 90% of sharks caught in the nets are caught on the inside of the nets swimming back out to sea!

they could make them solar powered with deep cycle batteries too....:D

[Razgo-]

what was that thing they towed out to moreton bay to generate electricity? wave power? they could probably incorporate something like that into a small device that generates enough power to run a shark repellent. works the same as solar power but instead uses water current.