WA to kill great white sharks near beaches

27 Sep 2012, 5:47 pm   -   Source: AAP
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(Getty Images)

(Getty Images)

Great white sharks will be captured and killed before they can menace beachgoers as part of the West Australian government's response to an unprecedented spate of fatalities.

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Great white sharks will be captured and killed before they can menace beachgoers as part of the West Australian government's response to an unprecedented spate of fatalities.

The government on Thursday announced a $6.85 million package of strategies in response to five fatal shark attacks within 10 months.

It has allocated $2 million for a new Department of Fisheries service to track, catch and destroy sharks in close proximity to beachgoers.

The government has also redefined the circumstances in which an order can be given to kill federally protected great whites in state waters that pose an imminent threat to humans.

"Previously the orders were used in response to an attack, but now proactive action will be taken if a large white shark presents imminent threat to people," Fisheries Minister Norman Moore said.

Baited drum lines could also be set to capture sharks that presented a danger, he said. Premier Colin Barnett said there was "not going to be a shark hunt".

"Five people have lost their lives in the last 12 months," he told ABC radio.

"If there are swimmers in the area, and it's judged that a shark poses a threat to swimmers, that shark will be tracked, it will be caught and it will be destroyed.

"We will always put the lives and safety of beachgoers ahead of the shark.

"This is, after all, a fish - let's keep it in perspective." Mr Barnett ruled out using shark nets to protect beaches because they were a threat to other marine life.

Instead, $2 million would go towards continuing shark-tagging programs, including the use of GPS tracking systems, while $2 million would go into a research fund over four years.

The government has also pledged $200,000 for a feasibility study and trial of a shark enclosure, $500,000 for extra jet skis for Surf Lifesaving WA and $150,000 for community awareness programs, including a smartphone application.

The most recent fatal shark attack in WA was in July, when 24-year-old Ben Linden was taken by a five-metre great white, 160km north of Perth.

Sharks , Shark Attacks

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The reality

Alex - from -, 2 months ago

Land was once full of predators of human until humans developed ‘safe zones’.  Humans as animals have the capacity to go into the shores of the ocean for feeding and recreation as do a number of other mainly land species.  Creating ‘safe zones’ in the shores that we use is sensible, culling would be a primitive way of doing it, another more progressive way would be the development and implementation of technologies that help to keep humans and sharks apart in the waters.  

Great photos

Beb - from Sydney, 3 months ago

Wow what a beautiful shark

Really Jack

Lozanger - from Uk, 5 months ago

After reading this article I felt phsically sick at the thought of Sharks being killed to protect human life. I whole heartedly sympathise with any family that have gone through the horror of losing a family member or anyone that's lost a friend due to a shark attack but that risk when swimming somewhere like Australia or South Africa will always be there. Sharks have a job to do in the Sea and it's there natural habitat and I really don't agree with them being killed.

Really Jack

Lozanger - from Uk, 5 months ago

After reading this article I felt phsically sick at the thought of Sharks being killed to protect human life. I whole heartedly sympathise with any family that have gone through the horror of losing a family member or anyone that's lost a friend due to a shark attack but that risk when swimming somewhere like Australia or South Africa will always be there. Sharks have a job to do in the Sea and it's there natural habitat and I really don't agree with them being killed.

their world

Bronson Chester - from Mandurah, Perth, 7 months ago

everyone needs to understand that the sea is the sharks world and the land is our world if god had made us to swim he would of given us gills however he didnt so if you are against the culling of sharks good because all of this is ridiculous it is all a quick reaction and has had no thought about it.

Dumb. Really dumb.

Leon - from Warrnambool, 7 months ago

This is one of the dumbest things I have ever heard. If you plan to get in the water, you really should accept that it isn't a humans environment, and that there are things that can kill you. Doesn't mean they will. This is kind of "kill them, just in case". Humans are not sea creatures. We don't belong in the sea. Yes, it's sad that people get attacked. But 5 deaths does not justify tracking and killing every Carcharodon carcharias that comes near a beach. Typical human fear response.

Waste of time

Annabelle - from Perth, 7 months ago

Imagine if cows and pigs could talk, walk, had feelings and had their own governments, we'd be dead by now because we consume them. My deep condolence goes to whose family lost their member due to the attack from the shark, but destroying them is definitely a waste of time. It's called nature, the circle of life. And we know sharks own the ocean, so if you get paranoid, stay out of the water.

Mr

Gazza - from Perth, 7 months ago

good to see a cull of sharks .human lives are more important than these killing monsters.I like seals these monsters kill them plus humans i say good ridance to the great white shark .If you say protect them say goodbye to another one of your mates..

Liars

Wag - from Sydney, 7 months ago

Forget the sharks .What we really need is a Corrupt Pollie cull

murder of innocent life

Jessie - from Perth, 7 months ago

Soon we will add sharks to the extinct list where else are the animals going to live on land! If we had not overfished their food sources they would not be coming closer to shore to find an alternative to survive. When enter an environment we need to realise its not that animals fault if it decides to attack its ours because we don't belong their to begin with. If we were meant to swim far out in the ocean we would of had better suited bodys and if we where meant to fly we would have wings.

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