Last Tuesday Byron lifesavers ‘gently shepherded a killer white shark out to sea’ – perhaps to bite someone further down the coast.
We also did this in WA. There have now been three fatal white shark attacks within a couple of kilometres of coast at Lefthanders Margaret River, in the winter/spring whale migration months.
Given the general rarity of shark attacks this seems statistically unusual.
Last year the WA government put out shark drumlines in summer, but as there are generally no attacks at that time of year they were useless.
What marine scientists don’t seem to tell you, is that white sharks may have regular migration patterns, they may return to the same beaches, at the same time of year and may spend several weeks there.
(You can Google this – Scientific Shark Protection Summit 2006 – Barry Bruce CSIRO.)
The population evidence that Australian white sharks are endangered, may also be inconclusive. (White Shark Issues Paper 2009 – Australian Govt.)
The shark that killed a man last Tuesday may therefore be back at Clarkes Beach next September. It may have learned to regard humans as prey.
A number of businesses in Byron are reliant on water-sports and tourism. In Margaret River such businesses have been impacted by the multiple white shark attacks. People have died, perhaps unnecessarily. Maybe Byron needs to consider these factors before letting a killer white shark go.
Stephen Woods, Margaret River
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