Drum lines: Shark attack victims' families challenge WA Government over lack of trial

Eliza Borello and Anthony Pancia
Swellnet Dispatch

What price do you put on life?

That's the question Rick Gerring is asking the WA Government two years after his brother Ben was killed by a shark.

Mr Gerring is part of a vocal group of WA surfers who want so-called smart drum lines trialled in WA.

Advocates say they're working in New South Wales.

But WA Fisheries Minister Dave Kelly is resisting the idea, estimating it would cost $75 million a year to roll out the technology along the state's vast coastline.

"NSW are running a trial, they're spending millions of dollars on that trial," he said.

"We'll wait and see what the results are to see whether there is actually any evidence that they reduce attacks."

'What cost is human life?'

Rick and Ben Gerring at Snapper Rocks, Qld (Supplied: Rick Gerring)

Smart drum lines involve the use of a baited hook but instead of killing the sharks caught, like WA's previous Liberal government, scientists tag and then release them a kilometre offshore.

"The best thing as a part of that is that we're showing that those animals are then 10 to 20 kilometres offshore within the next 24 to 48 hours," NSW Department of Primary Industries scientist Paul Butcher told 7.30.

"So there's a fright response from those animals to move further offshore."

No-one has been killed by a shark in the trial locations in NSW since the 18-month study began.

A memorial for Ben Gerring near where he was fatally attacked by a shark (ABC News: Glyn Jones)

Rick Gerring said that was evidence enough for him that they should be rolled out in WA.

He also rejected the minister's $75 million price tag.

"We're not looking at doing the whole coastline, we're looking at doing strategic areas so the cost would be a lot less and at the end of the day, what cost is human life?" he said.

"For $70 million a year, is my brother not worth that? Is [shark attack victim] Laeticia [Brouwer] not worth that?

"Is every other shark victim not worth that?"

'Promising signs'

Alex Travaglini looks out over the ocean near Gracetown, where he was attacked by a shark (ABC News: Anthony Pancia)

Argentinian-born surfer Alex Travaglini survived a shark attack at Gracetown, three hours south of Perth, in April.

During his recovery he has been researching shark-protection measures.

He said he would support the rollout of smart drum lines in WA but only if the science stacks up.

"It's showing promising signs," he told 7.30.

"But I don't see it as a solve-all problems. I think there's a lot of other things we could be doing."

Every year, thousands of whales migrate along the WA coastline and some die after beaching themselves.

Mr Travaglini believes their carcasses attract sharks and need to be better managed.

"There has been a very interesting coincidence in the fact that in the last couple of months we've had a few whales beach themselves in the Cape to Cape region and at the same time we've seen this heightened shark activity," he said.

More needs to be done to keep swimmers, surfers safe

Sharon Burden's son Kyle was killed in a shark attack at Bunker Bay, WA (ABC News)

Sharon Burden, whose only child, Kyle Burden, died at Bunker Bay, about 40 minutes north of Gracetown in 2011, only wants shark-attack-prevention measures introduced that protect wildlife.

She isn't convinced smart drum lines are the breakthrough the surfing community is hoping for.

"With any of these technologies we need to ensure that we are weighing up the cost and benefit in terms of safety but also the impact on the wildlife," she told 7.30.

Ms Burden is a big advocate for better shark-warning signs at beaches.

"A sign warning you that a shark is in the area at a time that it occurs, could save a life," she said.

Kyle Burden was killed in a shark attack days after this photo was taken (Supplied: Sharon Burden)

Where Sharon Burden, Alex Travaglini and Rick Gerring are united, is in their firm belief more needs to be done to keep ocean users safe.

"We don't want to end up like Reunion Island where swimming in the water or any water sport is illegal," Mr Gerring said.

"That would be an absolute nightmare for the Australian way of life."

The Fisheries Minister said the State Government had funded several shark-protection measures, including subsidies for scientifically tested shark-repellent devices.

"I won't sleep at night if I think I'm just doing stuff to try and solve a political problem for me," Mr Kelly said.

"What the Premier and I said before the election is that it's science that will give people the maximum amount of protection."

//ANTHONY PANCIA and ELIZA BORELLO

Comments

truebluebasher's picture
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truebluebasher Wednesday, 6 Jun 2018 at 8:10pm

ABC 7:30 Report just aired this story Tonight... 6,June 2018 Qld Edition (Leigh Sales)
W.A. residents be ready to check Tonight's 7:30 Report or (iview) 6, June Qld edition.

campbell's picture
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campbell Wednesday, 6 Jun 2018 at 8:41pm

There may be a great many surfers living in the southwest from NSW but otherwise not much in common between the two states, the typical coastline and geology is completely different.
Offshore reefs and bombies and long straight sections of coast here in the west differ greatly from the typical bay and cove set ups of the east coast where Drumlines or the like can be placed effectively and more importantly out far enough from surfers and beach users in the east. With the surf breaks as far out as they do in Prevelly and some other south west beaches this practice won't work nearly as well not to mention attracting sharks in to catch them with the bait and lines in and around the line up does not seem to make much sense but I'm sure the "experts" will be all over this forum shortly to prove otherwise. If our lineups become shark fishing grounds it may end up like reunion island by default anyhow with no surfing in and around the lines.
A removal of whale carcasses strategy (seemingly the most likely reason for the recent increase in shark incidents) should certainly be a priority and some shark sighting message board or text message service ( something like the severe weather warning service) or the like to remove any confusion of when and where recent sighting occur would be a good and start with much less red tape, cost and conflict.
Also if the press didn't get into such a feeding frenzy each time something happens it may do a lot to help people to take a realistic outlook (maybe starting with you Ant) although I guess sharks are good for business in journalism?
Here we go again... let's hear it.

Dave Drinkwater's picture
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Dave Drinkwater Monday, 11 Jun 2018 at 7:10am

I live across the road where Tadashi was bitten in half and just around the corner from where the other attacks occurred. I surf most days and I feel that I,m emersed in what is happening with the shark mitigation and movements in the local area of baitfish, whales etc...
We have made some mistakes moving forward and the biggest would be the loss of non targeted marine life in nets, However, the SDL (Smart Drum Lines) in my view have been an outstanding success and it would suggest this strategy has reduced the number of encounters in the area.
Yes, your coastline is vastly different and its a good point and placing SDL's on every bombie and off shore reef is not feasible. However, trial them on more of the popular breaks that have had the highest amount of incidences makes sense. The study so far suggests that Whites are generally lazy and will smell out an easy feed and take the bait. The other evidence rising is they hate being caught, dragged out to sea and then tagged. Its still early days but we are getting less of the tagged sharks returning to the SDL's...
WA also needs to start tracking and understanding the White from a scientific perspective and tagging is the best way.
Collin Barnet aka (Muppet) ordering a shark cull and catching/killing almost 90% Tigers was a huge uneducated mistake and you could possibly use him as part of the trial if it goes ahead.

simba's picture
simba's picture
simba Wednesday, 6 Jun 2018 at 9:16pm

Sounds like your the 'expert' campbell.

Coops70's picture
Coops70's picture
Coops70 Wednesday, 6 Jun 2018 at 11:34pm

I have surfed all the spots growing up in wa where the attacks happened in the 80,s and 90,s and never once saw a shark. I have seen three living on the east coast. I think more whale population equals more whites. Both species have been protected and both species have flourished. Would love to see data from the eighties to nineties in relation to attacks and species growth for whales and sharks. Maybe nature is swinging to a balance that doesn’t aggree with our surfing lifestyles?

goofyfoot's picture
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goofyfoot Thursday, 7 Jun 2018 at 6:51am

This makes sense.

Protected for years so it’s only logical to think the numbers for both species would be increasing.

Quint's picture
Quint's picture
Quint Monday, 11 Jun 2018 at 7:09am

...

bigtreeman's picture
bigtreeman's picture
bigtreeman Thursday, 7 Jun 2018 at 7:23am

So hands up everyone who is taking personal responsibility for their own safety and have fitted a Rpela to their boards. Scientifically tested.
$75M will buy 250,000 rpelas, how many surfers are in Oz ?

simba's picture
simba's picture
simba Thursday, 7 Jun 2018 at 7:58am

bigtreeman,have they been proven?

bigtreeman's picture
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bigtreeman Thursday, 7 Jun 2018 at 8:50am

quote the article -
"NSW are running a trial, they're spending millions of dollars on that trial," he said.
"We'll wait and see what the results are to see whether there is actually any evidence that they reduce attacks."

smart drumlines have anecdotal evidence -
"No-one has been killed by a shark in the trial locations in NSW since the 18-month study began."

ongoing research https://www.rpela.com/research/

Best way to test is to deploy and have a large sample group.

simba's picture
simba's picture
simba Thursday, 7 Jun 2018 at 10:43am

So it says its been trialed at the Neptunes on 6 different occasions last year but wheres the glowing report? .....

bigtreeman's picture
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bigtreeman Thursday, 7 Jun 2018 at 11:18am

got an email back from Dave at rpela, they have a positive preliminary report hope to get the final report this month.

quokka's picture
quokka's picture
quokka Thursday, 7 Jun 2018 at 4:07pm

Got the same repsonse from him myself, the report needs to be released as his product took a hammering in the Flinders Uni report. As I don't use a tailpad the Rpela design is more attractive, just needs evidence to back up it's effectiveness and then get listed on the rebate scheme. Would consider one even if it wasn't on the scheme but proven effective.

bigtreeman's picture
bigtreeman's picture
bigtreeman Thursday, 7 Jun 2018 at 11:10pm

Thanks for that quokka, just finished reading the Flinders results and have been waiting quite a while for the rpela results to come in.
Comparison of the signals produced (p28) is interesting and their assessment sounds reasonable. In the end it came down to the 2, but the Freedom+ won fairly convincingly.
Rather than product based comparative research, modifying the signals and positions would probably give a more realistic result, then give out that data as a public resource.

quokka's picture
quokka's picture
quokka Friday, 8 Jun 2018 at 1:42pm

BT I agree, I too was thinking that Dave should simply replicate the signal produced by the Freedom+ Surf so the products can be compared. It was interesting in that Dave didn't want a bar of the Flinders report, he thought it was all hype. My concern with his report is, as far as I understand it was commissioned by him. I asked who funded it and got not answer. If it comes back positive will the report be dimissed due to this?
Ocean Guardian helped fund the Flinders report but the author(s) went to great lengths to state categorically OG had no influence on the results. I'm not sure Dave will have the same ability to distance himself from his report.

bigtreeman's picture
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bigtreeman Friday, 8 Jun 2018 at 8:58pm

Sounds like they used it as a tax deductible excuse to go surfing, and who wouldn't.
Not the first time I noticed problems with charging and other tech (failure) issues.
Don't know if they could just replicate the output, quite different circuit designs.
Independent scientific testing would be preferred. UWA?
There seemed to be a lot more time spent testing the Freedom+ than other devices , see number of passes, etc. Did you see the UWA testing ? http://www.news.uwa.edu.au/201607048795/international/shark-shield-prove...

quokka's picture
quokka's picture
quokka Monday, 11 Jun 2018 at 1:58pm

I'm no electronics expert so have no idea if Rpela setup could replicate the field produced by Surf+. Yeah I noticed the big discrepancy in the number of passes between Surf+ and other devices, makes you question bias. Hadn't seen UWA report before but I note Flinders was also involved. Seems they tested the Freedom7. See my post at the bottom, seems Rpela are changing their setup and Flinders have offered to re-test it. Will be interesting to see what happens.

jbshack's picture
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jbshack Monday, 11 Jun 2018 at 1:52pm

Hopefully i explain this correctly so here goes. The Rpela is a different unit than the SS. mostly due to Rpela is DC current and pulses at a much higher rate per second than SS. What that means is you have a more power close to the board. At Neptune during the testing, Dave did some playing with the plate sizes in the test to see if he could push out the power further (its not every day you get to work directly with GW's in Aus so he took his chance whilst their). What he found was the unit lost its effectiveness. This was then represented in the test results. What he has now discovered was that by increasing the plate size it meant the field generator was, diminished because the capacitors could not re charge in time. The Rpela is a lower powered unit, but as what Dave wanted was to create a product that was firstly effective in rpeling sharks, but secondly practicable and suitable for everyday use, by kids and adults. The Rpela is fully CE certified and that also means it has passed all EU health and Cardio health standards. I believe its the only product available to have that. Dave has spent over 6 years making a product and fine tuning it to the best it can be, he has tested the product in many countries on GW's Bull sharks and Tigers. He was a little late to the party in terms of independent testing and as he replied to a few emails to people in this thread, he has that under way currently. So i guess its a case of watch this space.

As a disclaimer, im just regurgitating info I've been told/explained so don't expect me to expand on any of that..

udo's picture
udo's picture
udo Monday, 11 Jun 2018 at 4:57pm

I think you will find Dave can work directly with GWS everday of the week within 50k of home

jbshack's picture
jbshack's picture
jbshack Monday, 11 Jun 2018 at 6:19pm

You'd surprised what is and isn't legal these days.

Dave Drinkwater's picture
Dave Drinkwater's picture
Dave Drinkwater Monday, 11 Jun 2018 at 7:07am

They don't stop charging Whites mate, thats a fact..

philosurphizingkerching's picture
philosurphizingkerching's picture
philosurphizing... Thursday, 7 Jun 2018 at 7:26am

Jof's picture
Jof's picture
Jof Thursday, 7 Jun 2018 at 7:41am

Removing dead rotting shark food from the beach derrrr. Last check national parks were waiting on results of a bloke completing a two year study and are still burying them in NSW?? Think if you get the community together they dig them back up. Government is definitely not leading the way on this. They need to be guided. Why not employ and extra life guard or two who just fly drones all day. Have a light on the beach, maybe near the carpark that is always green. They see a shark on the drone turn the light red. Get out.
Wouldn't drum lines just get dragged away by the monsters in WA. What about the poor blokes who are pulling up a 6m Great White to tag and tow back out to sea. I imagine they will look like Hercules and be driving a shipping container boat.

Gazbomb's picture
Gazbomb's picture
Gazbomb Thursday, 7 Jun 2018 at 10:54am

For thousands of years beached whales have been seen as free bounty. Now they are so precious that even their carcasses are protected. As far as great whites go, every time I hear someone go on about how special they are, I wish that I could chuck them in a tank with one. At the risk of inducing a flame attack, may I express the opinion that I really couldn't give a fuck if they were hunted to extinction.

quokka's picture
quokka's picture
quokka Thursday, 7 Jun 2018 at 12:58pm

I like it Gaz, someone with common sense!

freeride76's picture
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freeride76 Thursday, 7 Jun 2018 at 11:01am

"Offshore reefs and bombies and long straight sections of coast here in the west differ greatly from the typical bay and cove set ups of the east coast where Drumlines or the like can be placed effectively and more importantly out far enough from surfers and beach users in the east. "

To Campbell: actually mate, I think you have it exactly arse about.

The Ballina/Byron coastline where drumlines are being successfully used is far more long sandy open beaches than the SW Cape to Cape stretch, with it's reefy, limestone coastline.
Also, far harder to get a boat out of the Ballina Bar than Gracetown.

The Gracetown to EB stretch would be a far easier place to set smart drum lines than Ballina.

Have you ever seen the Ballina/Byron coastline?

quokka's picture
quokka's picture
quokka Thursday, 7 Jun 2018 at 12:59pm

Bang on FR.

campbell's picture
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campbell Thursday, 7 Jun 2018 at 1:34pm

Which break in byron bay (or anywhere in nsw for that matter) do you have to paddle out 500m -1km + to go surfing FR? Also how many times a year is it over 5ft (or 3ft for that matter) at ballina or byron .
Different or not?
I mentioned Prevelly specifically.

freeride76's picture
freeride76's picture
freeride76 Thursday, 7 Jun 2018 at 3:15pm

Mate if you are out the back at Flat Rock, or Boulders, or even Lennox Point you are at least half a K off the beach. Those headlands poke right out into the ocean.
Not like surfing Bombie or Boatramps, true.

Gracetown to EB you could easily have 2 or 3 smart drums and one between Box and Main.

No drama whatsoever.

Take a look at Ballina Bar and if they can do it here they can do it there.

The other thing is, when the swell is up or massive storm surf you pull the gear. Again, no drama.

truebluebasher's picture
truebluebasher's picture
truebluebasher Thursday, 7 Jun 2018 at 11:20am

Tsunami Alert brings the bush to beach for a rubberneck! (5mins & Line-Up is Kook City).

Cyclone Alert wakes up Surfer Dudes for Live Breakfast TV Duty.

Shark alarm has never cleared a Line -Up in a hurry! Boardriders are forever last ashore....

[CLOSED BEACH] Sign is laughed at by near all Surfers. Every lifeguard will vouch for that!

Surfers cry S.H.A.R.K. ! Ask yourselves... Which fool would bother to listen?

5 years back on a packed Sunday Snapper I saw a 3m Shark surfing knee deep Foamballs.
Shark! SHARK! S.H.A.R.K!...Now more packed & all praying that Shark would clear line-Up.
By Tuesday a '3m shark' shut down a clear flat Rainbow Bay & starred the evening NEWS.

re: Any recall Big Shark that tailored Steph @ Snapper Roxy...What year was that? Anyone!

Only Gold Coast rule! No News Chopper = No Shark! (All cry wolf otherwise!) Sad but true!

truebluebasher's picture
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truebluebasher Thursday, 7 Jun 2018 at 1:09pm

Towing option naturally lessons as Whale decomposes.
Mostly because OZ marine rescue relies on tail lasso which fails the dead weight of Whale.
Imagine the fuel bill of dragging such dead weight...Impossible.

Decent Whale Harness hoisted onto barge out to sea.
Barges can be leased by councils over Whale season. Big harbours have compliant barges.
Not one OZ Port has a decent whale harness. Japs Harpoon or OZ Tail Lasso? You Choose!

At sea whale is weighted down gathering sealife soon as a dive attraction (3 weeks approx)
If whale is not weighted down it returns ashore with sea of sharks knocking on your door.

Alternatively a live whale can be transported by land.
As in the past a Cove with slipway then winched onto extended trailer/canopy Shower.
Whale can then be moved up/down coast to next cove to meet next available barge.
Barge detours sharks away from busiest port towns first then reflects next shark sightings.

International best practice is paramount for OZ Whaling. To big to hide it from the world.

On the face of it the Japanese harpoon'n' handle whales with more grace...(Not hard!)

We tow out/drag our Whale over rocks bury/dig up Hangi Pit up cliff face craned into skips.
Not done we haul it to the tip and treatment plant flushed out creek served as shark soup.

Which method would IWC vote on? I reckon OZ would be booted out! Gold Medal to Japs!
As with the sharks! Which fool would bother to listen to OZ Ban on Whale Hunting in Pacific.

Swellnetonians might rightly argue for OZ to simply purchase retired Jap' Whaling vessels.
Perfect!... Sea Shepherd have been doing just that!
Yeah! Whale rescues by Neptunes Navy! NO! Vessels are decommissioned for whale rescue!

Race to Bikini Bottom.

udo's picture
udo's picture
udo Thursday, 7 Jun 2018 at 4:11pm

RIP to the poor young fella in Brazil.

Faunt Leroy's picture
Faunt Leroy's picture
Faunt Leroy Thursday, 7 Jun 2018 at 4:27pm

When was the last fatal Shark Attack in Prevelly?

campbell's picture
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campbell Thursday, 7 Jun 2018 at 5:19pm

Never, that why I don't understand why the push to put drumlines there is so strong from the spokespeople from the southwest shark mitigation crowd.
Fair enough Gracetown and Ellenbrook are the areas that need addressing , seems like that is where the biggest problem has been and as stated above where Drumlines will work well apparently (although didn't last time).
It seems like it is all or nothing with your guys argument every time I read a forum, same fake names, no meeting in the middle or mutual discussion just pocket pissing or arguments, tiring and keeps fence sitters on the fence.
My original point was will surfing near bait laid to encourage sharks in make us safer? Could that ruin outer reef surfing in WA? And are WA and NSW completely different?

freeride76's picture
freeride76's picture
freeride76 Thursday, 7 Jun 2018 at 6:42pm

Disagree mate.

I think we have come a helluva long way from total culling to a solution like smart drum lines.

It's a pretty major compromise position.

Faunt Leroy's picture
Faunt Leroy's picture
Faunt Leroy Friday, 8 Jun 2018 at 10:32am

You did mention Prevelly "Specifically" so the question was relevant.

Your original Point - " will surfing near bait laid to encourage sharks in make us safer?" -Yes, if NSW is anything to go by, we can only go off those stats at the moment.

" Could that ruin outer reef surfing in WA?" - If they Whack them right at the take off spot at Boat Ramp then Yes, but I doubt they would be that stupid. Having one set deep off the back of the Box seems pretty smart, may catch one travelling up/down the coast, then once it is released it would head out to sea (As is being seen in NSW) That could most definitely make outer reef surfing or even inner reef surfing safer.

"Are WA and NSW completely different?" Obviously they are, but they are also connected by land and ocean. Sharks travel over huge distances so to me it makes sense that their behaviours will be the same in NSW as in WA.

Terminal's picture
Terminal's picture
Terminal Friday, 8 Jun 2018 at 11:05am

Hi Faunt,
I respectfully disagree with your assumption that sharks in the WA population will behave in the same way as counterparts in NSW. There is ample evidence in the literature that distinct populations of the same species can interact with their respective environments differently. The locations we are talking about are completely different bioregions for starters, which means resource availability and subsequent trophic interactions (e.g., predator-prey relationships) could be very different. If I were in a manager or stakeholder working on this over there, I'd be cautious about generalizing behavioural information based on the NSW population (and vice-versa) as it may or may not be representative.

Faunt Leroy's picture
Faunt Leroy's picture
Faunt Leroy Friday, 8 Jun 2018 at 12:07pm

Hi Terminal,
Thanks for that info - can you please point me toward the literature you mentioned?.
Also, Are shark - human interactions included in these trophic interactions? I have understood most shark - human interactions as "mistaken identity" interactions. I.E Shark having a nibble at something that could or could not be prey (which alot of the time ends up as a fatal attack) Seems a common trait in
alot of attacks, be it east or west, south africa, brazil...
Thanks for that input.

Terminal's picture
Terminal's picture
Terminal Friday, 8 Jun 2018 at 11:05am

Hi Faunt,
I have to respectfully disagree with your assumption that sharks in the WA population will behave in the same way as counterparts in NSW. There is ample evidence in the literature that distinct populations of the same species can interact with their respective environments differently. The locations we are talking about are completely different bioregions for starters, which means resource availability and subsequent trophic interactions (e.g., predator-prey relationships) could be very different. If I were in a manager or stakeholder working on this over there, I'd be cautious about generalizing behavioural information based on the NSW population (and vice-versa) as it may or may not be representative.

monk's picture
monk's picture
monk Thursday, 7 Jun 2018 at 5:47pm

Cowaramup Bay is a massive hotspot would be ideal for drums. Craypots all over the place full of bait there a lot of the time anyway. Boat ramp right there. Could also service the stretch from Cobbles to Ellensbrook which is the other major hotspot. Also around Yallingup there is a good boat ramp at Canal Rocks (albeit the government is looking to close it - hopefully not), and i woudl have thought drums would work at Inji Bay (another hotspot), Smiths and maybe behind Yallingup but not sure there.

Not so sure about the Prev area, personally i would be a bit worried about one between Box and Main Break - not that far from surfers there, but as mentioned above, this area doesnt seem to be such a hot spot but maybe has just been lucky - there certainly has been a few sightings there. Also Gas and Booj would likely work with Drum Lines. IMO definately worth a trial.

Also agree that the first and foremost action should be to get rid of the stinking whales off of the beach - this should be number 1 priority, and I dont know why there is not such a stink kicked up about this (pun intended). I think it has gone way past coincidence that the attacks and beachings are so well correlated...

Yoann's picture
Yoann's picture
Yoann Friday, 8 Jun 2018 at 1:18am

Hi monk, i surf and spearfish here in WA mostly mandurah perth rottnest area, never saw a white sharkin the water. But last year on a long week end i went free diving for cray at main break prevelly, i was in the reef channel that leads to the lefthander wve and ended up with 2 white sharks.... like you said it s just luck until it s not.... the break was full of surfer, people on the beach, kids swimming in the channel close to shore, but the 2 sharks were like 20 to 30 meter from shore. I called to notify it, and guess what nobody came to close the beach, they just put the sighting on the facebook page for shark sighting.... everything could have happen...

Yoann's picture
Yoann's picture
Yoann Friday, 8 Jun 2018 at 1:19am

Hi monk, i surf and spearfish here in WA mostly mandurah perth rottnest area, never saw a white sharkin the water. But last year on a long week end i went free diving for cray at main break prevelly, i was in the reef channel that leads to the lefthander wve and ended up with 2 white sharks.... like you said it s just luck until it s not.... the break was full of surfer, people on the beach, kids swimming in the channel close to shore, but the 2 sharks were like 20 to 30 meter from shore. I called to notify it, and guess what nobody came to close the beach, they just put the sighting on the facebook page for shark sighting.... everything could have happen...

monk's picture
monk's picture
monk Friday, 8 Jun 2018 at 1:01pm

Ha, interesting but not unusual - sharks have become part of the norm in this area. I don't like checking the 'shark alert' on the phone before I go in the water because it is usually a sure way to freak yourself out with the sheer number of sightings. Yeah I worry about Prev being one of the 'lucky' areas too - the amount of people I know personally who have sighted sharks there, not to mention the second-hand stories, gives me the sinking feeling that "it is only a matter of time"....

truebluebasher's picture
truebluebasher's picture
truebluebasher Thursday, 7 Jun 2018 at 6:16pm

Today's News... W.A to deploy (10 Whale tracking Buoys) Esperance -Broome
Buying rescuers more time to free Whales from fishing nets.

quokka's picture
quokka's picture
quokka Thursday, 7 Jun 2018 at 6:19pm

Are they that well correlated Monk? I'm not disputing whales bring sharks, as IMO, so do seals, but previous to this year the attacks have not been accompanied by beachings. Definitely reckon it's worth trialling smart drums in and at the back of Cow Bay.

mikehunt207's picture
mikehunt207's picture
mikehunt207 Thursday, 7 Jun 2018 at 8:45pm

A whale was buried on the beach at umbies a while before Chris Boyd got hit out there. Year of the cray pots everywhere on south west beaches(commercial pots all along the back of the bay) around the time Brad Smith got hit too

I focus's picture
I focus's picture
I focus Thursday, 7 Jun 2018 at 9:23pm

It was salmon fishermen killing, bleeding, throwing heads in the water that brought in the white to Gearies something not covered in the media.

quokka's picture
quokka's picture
quokka Friday, 8 Jun 2018 at 1:58pm

Yes you can select certain attacks being related to carcasses (highly likely in those instances as well) but in the majority it is safe to say attacks are not related to beached carcasses.
Interestingly Salmon fishing has been conducted in SW WA and South Coast for decades but up until the last 10-15 years has not really been offered as a potential contributer to attacks.

Check this from Eagle Bay posted by @southwestsaltwater on insta yesterday

.
I refer to his comment "haha, come down south mate! Literally every time I take the drone up I see one!"...not sure how poeple can argue that numbers haven't increased when they were never sighted in years gone by?

monk's picture
monk's picture
monk Friday, 8 Jun 2018 at 1:05pm

Yeah I was really thinking about the last two behind Gracetown and the dead one washed up at Lefties. The correlation is more to increased near-shore shark activity than actual attacks - big sharks hovering very close to the beach smelling delicious rotting whale blubber. This is very, very common - and has happened at every beaching I can think of in recent history - Bears, Honeycombs, Lefties, Hamelin Bay to name a few recent ones. Check out this picture last week from near Lincoln in SA - a great example! I reckon this is pretty common in the south western half of Australia - https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/video-whale-carcass-...

monk's picture
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monk Friday, 8 Jun 2018 at 1:06pm

**edited the link above - that last link was no good....

https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/video-whale-carcass-...

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quokka Friday, 8 Jun 2018 at 1:42pm

Aboslutely agree Monk, carcasses washing up are a big problem, not being addressed very well at all. They should be removed from the beach full stop. The only cost effective way to do this is by boat. If they need to drop machinery in by chopper to assist then so be it. I am one WA taxpayer that would be happy that my taxes are going towards this sort of effort. Leaving them on the beaches to decompose is just plain moronic.

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monk Friday, 8 Jun 2018 at 2:16pm

Yep agree. IMO sensible government policy that is not overly divisive would include three points of action (above and beyond a partial refund for deterrents - which is a small step in the right direction, but not significant in the overall scheme of basic protection of human lives at our beaches).
1) Get the whales off the beach - as you said above, good use of taxpayer funds, even if boats involved (also this provides work to locals so the money is still in the economy)
2) Smart drum line trial
3) Lets have the conversation about the protection status of Great Whites, and whether it needs to be reviewed. The extremism on this issue drives me nuts - you don't have to be a shark-hating evil redneck that kills animals for fun to ask the question about whether these animals should still be granted protection status or not - which is the way many extreme groups would have us believe. The reason for the protection status in the first place was due to "lack of data" so a conservative approach was adopted. I want the conversation to be had - do we have enough data now? Is protection status still warranted? If it were removed and a fishery with restrictions was in place (like most other fish in the sea, which have declining stocks but are not likely at this stage to go extinct), would this seriously threaten the GW species to extinction? No matter what side of the fence you are on, this is a reasonable conversation to be had. Bloody difficult conversation to have with all the political chest-beating, extremist rhetoric, and inflammatory press that sharks attract like a Great White to whale blubber...

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quokka Friday, 8 Jun 2018 at 6:08pm

There's a problem with everything you've said above Monk...it's all too logical to be taken seriously by people in power. I wish that wasn't the case.

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uncle_leroy Thursday, 7 Jun 2018 at 8:19pm

Craypots all the way from Walpole to well north of Kalbarri , tens of thousand of cray pots out there in season. Lots between the capes. That’s a lot of fish juice in the water, but it seems whale and seal juice is of more concern.

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Quint Monday, 11 Jun 2018 at 7:07am

...

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I focus Friday, 8 Jun 2018 at 3:45pm

Yeah there are no honest scientists anywhere all absolutely corrupted by..............FFS

As for the marine environment like Mars there is a lot of information and known data but all in all a fraction of what's required to manage it.

There is no fishery anywhere in the world that hasnt been fu(ked by "management" the WA rock Lobster used to be held up as one until they over fished it....

To add to the rant the cray industry loses gear all season washed into the breaks (and I know these guys as good at what they do) drum lines would almost certainly join them should they be deployed that may not be a reason to do not go ahead but naive to think otherwise.

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Quint Monday, 11 Jun 2018 at 7:41am

...

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jbshack Sunday, 10 Jun 2018 at 8:38pm

Its very interesting that people who are calling for a Trail of smart drum lines like they did in NSW don't understand how they work. Firstly they are not left in over night, only put out in the morning and removed in the afternoon. They were not deployed on days it was deemed to rough to work safety. For that reason in WA they would only be out a hand full of days a month. Also because they need to be on hand with in a small window of time to remove and work on any thing caught, the boats would need to stay out at sea through out the days deployed so you can imagine the size of the craft needed. Then add to that once the sharks are tagged, with out a receiver network they would be no info recorded for scientific research. This is were the trouble comes into and as I focus said would have issues for the receivers to stay safely anchored. Also the depth of water could mean sharks swim past them, but at the wrong depth, as they wouldn't record either. People need to understand what they are asking for and its limitations.

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quokka Monday, 11 Jun 2018 at 3:15pm

Yes there are increased complexities in conducting a SDL trial in SW WA due to sea conditions but IMO it's still worth a go. Absolutely there needs to be further investment in the receiver network. There's swell buoys off Naturalise and Albany that seem to hold up pretty well in all conditons so surely receivers would be able to be deployed successfully. The ones off Rotto get a hammering and hold up.

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jbshack Monday, 11 Jun 2018 at 4:43pm

The tagging part of SDL really is only to allow for the sharks to be caught and tagged. People are under the impression that sharks are then removed from the area but as per the NSW trail they mostly moved them 500m out to sea only. The results of tagging the sharks showed then that directly after being released, the sharks hot footed out of the area, but within 40 days were detected back in the same spot by the receivers, some were even re caught. The receiver network is expensive, also fragile and not the same cost as say the Swell bouys. For the network to work as a early detection system they need to be installed closer to the head lands, also in shallow water. The Southwest cape regions doesn't really allow for that. Its a wonder why no one has even questioned why their are no receivers between Mandurah and Albany? For your reference the metro network of receivers has been plagued with problems recently and they have on a few occasions considered taking them completely off line. GW sharks can be tagged in WA by fisheries with out the SDL and their cost. They just tag every time a whale is found, but with out the network receiver system, that is of no use to Southwest WA..I understand why people WANT the Smart Drum lInes to be the silver bullet, but sadly its not be proven to be so. NSW government have no actually confirmed they will continue the trial. Costs have blown out for them and i personally think if they can force a Labour state government to give it a go, when the cost v's results are really released they can say it was a joint party blunder at least..I could be wrong, Just my opinion..

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quokka Monday, 11 Jun 2018 at 5:32pm

So you've ruled out SDL's, tagging and receivers for the capes...IYO what's the answer, do nothing?

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jbshack Monday, 11 Jun 2018 at 6:35pm

Actually i ruled them out for the capes after speaking directly to the Canadian company who designs and makes the system years ago when i was looking for some answers.

Im not ruling them out, but i can't see the benefit of throwing more good money at the problem were it "MAY" be another huge waist. Kinda like millions spent to kill tiger sharks.

I wasn't going to get into this debate just wanted to clarify a few points. Having said that my stance is still the same as it has been for years. We need to learn to do the small things right IMHO. What is point of having SDL then tagging sharks, paying for a network of receivers when you here stories like this one i copied from the SW Shark Safety FB Page.

"So a snapshot of what is wrong with our current system from my experience today. Checked shark alerts page to see if there were any sightings. None were shown other than around 3 bears so went to surf redgate. As I paddled out to join 8 other surfers the chopper did a pass and then moved on. Surfed 2 hours and got out. All in all about 30 surfers over that period. Got back to the carpark to see beach closed sign up and shark alerts reporting whale carcasses all up and down the coast including redgate. Only one whale carcass alert was there earlier.

No one surfing knew about this since we are a long way from the carpark and we obviously don't carry mobile phones in the water. Chopper has no way of signalling. Whoever posted the sign hadn't bothered to leave the car park and tell us."

My points are,
Why did the helicopter not sound the alarm siren to warn and clear the water? Why did the ranger not walk down the beach and clear the water? But even worse IMHO is why on that FB page (dedicated to water safety), does it have 2 people shocked by the post and a single comment, why are people not demanding better service from the rangers, helicopter service?

Councils should have the whale issue removed from them locally and made a state issue, so that legally the whale carcass can be handled at sea, before they wash up in hard to reach places.

Both previous attacks in WA were directly next to dead whales. Also both cases each surfer new the shark was directly in the vicinity, but still chose to surf anyway..So we as tax payers bore the cost of their stupidity..

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mikehunt207 Monday, 11 Jun 2018 at 6:20pm

Thanks Jbshack for some informed factual opinion on this forum, thats the first time I've read anything about the actual operating procedure for SDL and it would concur with others speculation that conditions in WA maybe vastly different to NSW and also go toward explaining some of the huge expense projected on setting up operations on this side .

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quokka Monday, 11 Jun 2018 at 6:30pm

Is it. Maybe do some reading instead of letting your fingers loose on the keyboard.

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mikehunt207 Monday, 11 Jun 2018 at 7:36pm

or maybe you should do a bit less Quokka? Ever hear the saying about having just one mouth but 2 ears? Just high fiving others opinions that you like dont count as facts or make you come across as having any worthwhile input either. Perhaps you can show me where it was stated about your all saving drumlines operating procedure on this forum ? I must have missed it. The last time when they were used here the baited lines just sat outside the lineup for months getting checked somewhat daily rather than laid and pulled.

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quokka Monday, 11 Jun 2018 at 7:02pm

Yep you did.
https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/sharks/management/smart-drumlines
"Up to 35 SMART drumlines are deployed daily between Evans Head and Lennox Head (weather and ocean conditions permitting)."

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mikehunt207 Monday, 11 Jun 2018 at 7:36pm

Fast fingering Quokka! So does that information help your case? Its 10ft and onshore here again today, same as last few days give or take a few feet, same forecast for a while so where does that leave us? May be great for a fair bit of summer but is that the season when the fish are biting?

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quokka Monday, 11 Jun 2018 at 7:37pm

What are doing at home typing, thought you'd be out in it being a man. Word.

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jbshack Monday, 11 Jun 2018 at 6:52pm

No problem Mike just trying to provide some simple info i found. I do support tagging and i receivers, just not the cost of SDL and the technical working of that simple part in WA is a huge cost. We do tag GW sharks and if someone could fix the receiver issues it may help.

Most people are attributing the success of the SDL trail in NSW to the fact they have not had any attacks during the NSW trial. When their has been at least 2, but luckily just not Fatal. Also people are forgetting that at the same time as the SDL trail, NSW was implementing a new shark net trail at 5 different locations. That has been considered a failure because of the amount of killed by catch, but it did also kill the targeted species. Also a heavily increased arial patrol and drone trail, better eduction and people have started to pay a little more atten to their surroundings in the water. So really in such a small amount of time, how can you cherry pick the SDL and say they have been a success?

Kinda like my wife the other day made the comment how clean her skin was, but the problem is she started a new diet, started using a different moisturiser and drinking different cleansing tea all at the same time, so actually she has no idea what has helped..If any of the at all..

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quokka Friday, 8 Jun 2018 at 6:09pm

Article just posted on Business News, interesting stuff about Rpela.
https://www.businessnews.com.au/article/Study-highlights-complexity-of-s...

Dave would be mad not to take them up on their offer. It might be the only way out of the shit for his product.

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quokka Saturday, 9 Jun 2018 at 12:34pm

@truebluebasher "Today's News... W.A to deploy (10 Whale tracking Buoys) Esperance -Broome
Buying rescuers more time to free Whales from fishing nets."

The WA Govt are such hypocrites! Anything to pander to the conservationists. Gives me the shits. Happy to spend money protecting whales but not people. Absolute fucking joke.

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campbell Sunday, 10 Jun 2018 at 2:16am

.

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truebluebasher Sunday, 10 Jun 2018 at 9:15am

I should add there's more to the Whale Buoy story.
*Trial has been running for a while & is considered best practice. NZ is set to copy.
*W.A. program but is funded by Feds & Fishermen not W.A. Govt despite Opposition claims.
*W.A. opposition is chest beating that Surfers are worth more than gentle beast.
* (NEWS) W.A. Rock Lobsters are currently pulling record $100kg. (Return my Nets NOW!)
Painfully obvious to all that Rock Lobsters are worth more than Humans.

Consider!
A Buoy on a wounded Whale that's hauling Nets is naturally a massive Shark Counter.
Fishermen also keep track of lost gear by dates.
Info would soon pattern netted wounded whales attributed to future/past shark attacks.
The money doesn't appear much for massive coastline...Part of the bigger picture? Go W.A.!

(You all got this?) Pretty cool old W.A. Map from 2003 relating to W.A. Humpbacks/Sharks

www.washarkattacks.net/humpback-activity.pdf

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Dave Drinkwater Monday, 11 Jun 2018 at 7:06am

I live across the road where Tadashi was bitten in half and just around the corner from most of the other attacks occurred. I surf most days and I feel that I,m emersed in what is happening with the shark mitigation and movements in the local area of baitfish, whales etc...
We have made some mistakes moving forward and the biggest would be the loss of non targeted marine life in nets, However, the SDL (Smart Drum Lines) in my view have been an outstanding success and it would suggest this strategy has reduced the number of encounters in the area.
Yes, your coastline is vastly different and its a good point and placing SDL's on every bombie and off shore reef is not feasible. However, trial them on more of the popular breaks that have had the highest amount of incidences makes sense. The study so far suggests that Whites are generally lazy and will smell out an easy feed and take the bait. The other evidence rising is they hate being caught, dragged out to sea and then tagged. Its still early days but we are getting less of the tagged sharks returning to the SDL's...
WA also needs to start tracking and understanding the White from a scientific perspective and tagging is the best way.
Collin Barnet aka (Muppet) ordering a shark cull and catching/killing almost 90% Tigers was a huge uneducated mistake and you could possibly use him as part of the trial if it goes ahead.

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quokka Monday, 11 Jun 2018 at 11:35am

If WA's books were in the black maybe it would be a different story...

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jbshack Monday, 11 Jun 2018 at 4:50pm

Its worth noting that Barnet and the Liberal state government had already cut funding for maintenance of the receiver network. Fisheries were carrying the cost for some time and its now in jeopardy again. Even though i still think we have not had a metro receiver detect a GW this season..Its such a shame that so much money was waisted by the previous government, we now have a situation were the shear cost of removing even a dead whale has councils and state politics looking the other way..

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I focus Monday, 11 Jun 2018 at 9:13pm

"Collin Barnet aka (Muppet) ordering a shark cull and catching/killing almost 90% Tigers was a huge uneducated mistake and you could possibly use him as part of the trial if it goes ahead."

It was no mistake.

There was no intention of culling whites it was simply to keep the punters happy.....nothing else.

The Emperor was a shark hugger and good on him.

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Norm de Ploom Tuesday, 12 Jun 2018 at 10:06am

If short term history is anything to go by, the next 4-5 months data from both tagging and receiver pings will add credence to the theory GWS will stay away from areas they have been ‘interfered with’ (eg tagged)
A fair few pings around Hawkes Nest, a few at Old Bar, Port macq lately.
Well find out if they move further up mid-north Coast soonish.

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truebluebasher Monday, 11 Jun 2018 at 9:45am

I just loaded this article onto shark fact file...Comprehensive data of smart drumline + all.
*Last updated 3 March 2016...(You won't get a better "NEWS" article) Plenty to examine!

www.abc.net.au/news/2015-12-23/shark-attacks-smart-drum-lines-fact-check/

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truebluebasher Monday, 11 Jun 2018 at 9:54am

Sorry Guys! I'll try that link again! If not the other Swellnet shark 'FactFile' link works fine...

www.abc.net.au/news/2015-12-23/shark-attacks-smart-drum-lines-fact-check...

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Timmy 56 Monday, 11 Jun 2018 at 6:30pm

FFS at least Barnet had a go, he got spooked, by that big crowd at cott beach protesting and having their paddle out for sharks. They are fucking fish lets kill a few of the big ones hanging around and see if it makes a difference, nothing ventured nothing gained.

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quokka Monday, 11 Jun 2018 at 7:45pm
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Timmy 56 Monday, 11 Jun 2018 at 9:26pm

A lot of you may not be from WA , but this whole sorry saga of attacks , started with a famous footballers surf ski getting bitten, then Ken Crew getting attacked at nth cottesloe beach in very shallow water . There was no whale carcasses , salmon heads in the area , just a very efficient dangerous killer , the great white shark. Same goes for attacks at PT Kennedy and wedge. Not sure is the attack at gearies had anything to do with other factors either, but everytime , I think of going there someone says a shark was sighted there. Surely it's time for humans before sharks .

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Quint Tuesday, 12 Jun 2018 at 5:37am
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velocityjohnno Thursday, 21 Jun 2018 at 2:46pm

Yep I was out there in that water on the first day, that was the start of it all.
Knowing people you hear stories, you could add the diver off Hillarys to that supposition. That story sends a chill down the spine. Very similar to an account I read of Bob Bartle's fate in 1967.

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frog Tuesday, 12 Jun 2018 at 6:58am

friend of a friend in WA reckons sightings, encounters, nudges and bumps by Great Whites have become commonplace lately unlike anything in the past. Obviously it proves they don't always attack on sight but the odds of a hungry one or a cranky one having a go or just doing an exploratory bite must be pretty high over there.

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monk Tuesday, 12 Jun 2018 at 11:14am

Hey Frog, yeah I would concur with those comments. Last Spring was crazy, I cant believe there were no major attacks (which is why probably no media coverage) but the number of sightings and encounters had everybody with the jitters - then this Autumn was the worst Autumn I can remember. First time I have ever taken a couple of weeks away from surfing and considered a deterrent device - never thought I would let the fear get to me. There are a lot of different attitudes down here, and sure there are some hardened crew that have the mental ability to not worry at all about the sightings and just keep surfing at always, but there are a lot of people that have also practically stopped surfing too. I reckon I am in about the median, with a newfound worry that just was not present in the past (and I don't attribute to just getting older and having kids). I don't let it stop me surfing, but the worry is there now. If you told most regular long-time surfers down here that a CSRIO study came out that concluded no increase in shark numbers they would laugh in your face.

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quokka Tuesday, 12 Jun 2018 at 12:42pm

Frog I feel exactly the same as Monk. Whilst not a resident of the SW I am a long time visitor 25+ years and it's always in the back of my mind these days...never used to give it a second thought. Surfed all the breaks where guys have been killed...a lot and never really feel comfortable now. Surfed a lot up around where Ben Linden was killed...haven't been back. I too have kids and whilst it doesn't stop me surfing it's definitely a factor when I paddle out. A lot of older crew state it being a part of the reason why they no longer surf over here. It's really quite sad that our lifestyle is changing...and not for the better. I believe the majority of people want something done over here.

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velocityjohnno Thursday, 21 Jun 2018 at 2:49pm

On a lighter note recently traveling north it felt safe... or like old times... I told myself all the sharks were Down South. Some nice waves. Still some of the spots were lonely.

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quokka Thursday, 21 Jun 2018 at 2:09pm

Redgate & Bears have now been closed for near on 2 months! Isn't stopping people surfing these areas but far from an ideal situation. I get the decomposition approach in remote areas but Whale carcass treatment needs reviewing urgently as this approach in heavily utilised areas of coast should not be an option. This is simply irresponsible from the WA Govt. Too difficult/costly should not be put up as a reason.

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jbshack Monday, 25 Jun 2018 at 6:49pm

I completely agree about the handling of dead whales. The current issue is its a local shire/council problem. Not a State issue and IMHO it should be changed to be a state issue and dealt with before they hit the beach and hard to reach places.

The problem is, no one is calling for this to change. People are demanding drum lines and tagging bit ignore the simple issues that WILL help.

Surely no dead whale on a beach must be safer then surfing next to a dead whale on the beach..

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quokka Tuesday, 26 Jun 2018 at 1:01pm

Yep also agree it should be made a state issue as councils have no coin to deal with it hence we are where we are. Not sure you'll stop them hitting hard to reach places it's more how they are dealt with when they do. The situation needs ot be dealt with by a combination of approaches, whale carcass management, smart drum lines/tagging program, receiver network, personal protection devices...all costs money which the WA govt reckons they don't have. They can still afford to go on junkets and have lavish lunches.

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jbshack Tuesday, 26 Jun 2018 at 5:16pm

It needs to be a multi level approach fix, but SDL are not going to work in the area between the capes. Sadly though thats all people are demanding currently, and lets face it to be honest, even that voice seems to have gone mute. So what now, we just wait and people go surf next to dead whales on beaches and wait until someone else gets bitten and everyone screams blue murder and we go around and around like we have for the last 8 or so years with nothing changing..

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simba Tuesday, 26 Jun 2018 at 2:32pm

Well seems as though others are investing in possible shark deterrents.

https://magicseaweed.com/news/will-dead-shark-stink-help-protect-surfers...

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quokka Tuesday, 26 Jun 2018 at 5:15pm

Good to see, cheers for that Simba. I like the sound of that product, makes good sense, seems really adaptable.
Another good article re the Podi http://www.wired.co.uk/article/shark-attacks-2018-smell-podi and the Podi FB page https://www.facebook.com/podiprotect/.

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mikehunt207 Tuesday, 26 Jun 2018 at 8:44pm

Congrats Simba got the quokka (or is that kooka?) bumlick of approval! nothing like kicking on the shark forum to get his expression of eager appreciation. Perth be flat and/or onshore for a change.

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truebluebasher Wednesday, 30 Jan 2019 at 2:46pm

Court is in Session:( Jan 30th - Feb 1st) GBR Shark Culls (re: Drum Lines)

Humane Society int' verses Qld Govt (Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority)

https://www.theadvocate.com.au/story/5877154/legal-challenge-to-barrier-...

Outline of Case:
https://hsi.org.au/newsroom/shocking-images-show-endangered-shark-specie...

Launch of Legal Action:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-07-25/shark-control-program-tested-in-c...

Goes without saying GBR outcome will impact all Marine Park shark mitigation.