More than 200 people have descended on Western Australia's State Parliament to push what they believe to be “common sense” – the installation of SMART drumlines that will tag sharks swimming too close to populated beaches.
Surfers and divers have been lobbying the state government to introduce the same program being tested in NSW as a way to properly deter and track sharks on Australia's west coast.
Shark attacks have impacted every major ocean event in WA this year, and even saw the cancellation of the state's biggest international surf competition, the Margaret River Pro.
According to Keith Halnan from the South-West Safe Shark group, it’s killing tourism across the state.
“[Pro-surfer] Gabriel Medina has told his three million Instagram followers ‘It’s not safe in WA waters’,” he told the crowd.
“This ripple effect going around the world after each attack just keeps getting higher and higher. That’s what’s happened to our tourism and it’s been trashed worldwide.
“The fisheries have turned their back on their ocean and just let it go wild. We’re not out to kill every shark; it’s a management issue. We can manage the problem, but the fisheries have left it alone.”
Before the Margaret River Pro was cancelled, Medina wrote on Instagram: "Today they had two shark attacks on a beach close to where we're competing. I do not feel safe training and competing in this kind of place, any time anything can happen to one of us."
But WA’s Minister for Fisheries, Dave Kelly, says there is not enough evidence to justify the cost of installing the drum-lines.
“NSW is the only state to implement these SMART drumlines,” he said. “It’s not been done in Victoria, it’s not been done in Queensland. They are similarly waiting for that trial to see if it is of any effect.”
A statement from the minister estimated the cost of the drumlines to be between $50 to $75 million a year, stating the need for more scientific evidence before anything could be considered.
The WA government will be meeting local communities next month to discuss future options for securing beaches.
