NSW Greens marine and fisheries spokesperson Justin Field has condemned an apparent decision by premier Mike Baird and fisheries minister, Niall Blair, to consider expanding the state’s shark netting program, including potentially on the north coast.
The Daily Telegraph reported on Sunday that the government will seek Commonwealth Approval for 100 permanent drum-lines and will consider expanding the netting program across the state.
Mr Field described the plan as ‘a knee-jerk decision that goes against the science-based approach the government had been pursuing.
‘Make no mistake, a move to expand the shark netting program will result in more dolphins, turtles, seals, whales and non-target sharks injured and killed across NSW beaches.
‘No one can take away from the significant personal and community impact from shark bites but killing sharks and other marine life is not the answer.
‘The public are against killing sharks and the massive collateral damage shark nets do to other marine life.
‘The massive ‘no shark cull’ rallies of 2014 and 2015 should be fresh in the mind of Premier Baird because some were held on Manly beach. I would expect to see similar opposition to these plans.
‘The ‘smart-drumline’ technology the government has been trialing relies on a response from trained professionals within two hours of a catch to ensure any animal caught on the line is able to be released before it dies.
‘I’ll reserve judgment until I see the full plans, but I can’t see the government resourcing that kind of response across the length of the NSW coast. I fear the end result will be marine life indiscriminately killed.
‘We need to see those resources put into pursuing non-lethal methods and educating water users about shark behaviors. The Shark Watch program proposed for Ballina is a good example of the community coming together and looking for solutions to protect beach users while protecting our marine life.
‘We need to learn to live with nature, including sharks which are essential for healthy oceans’, Mr Field said.
Shark spotters ‘ready to go’
Meanwhile, advocates of South Africa’s successful shark spotting program say they are ‘ready to go’ in the region after wrapping up a successful trial in Byron Bay last month.
Sixty volunteers have now signed up for a similar program to be trialled between Lennox Head and Ballina.
Ballina Greens MP Tamara Smith will take a proposal to Mr Blair tomorrow to support the trial, with Shark Watch spokesperson Andrew Nieuwenhof saying $60,000 would fund the volunteer program for an entire summer.
‘We have an army volunteers ready to swing into action. We just need this funding, hopefully in time for the school holidays,’ he ABC radio.
‘We can go anywhere, wherever the surf is, that’s where we’ll be,’ he said.
Byron Shire Mayor Simon Richardson said the recently completed shark spotting trial at Wategos beach, was ‘a fantastic success, and provides an opportunity for further refinement and partnership between the state government and the Byron shire to extend the trial to other locations and roll out the program in time for summer.’
The study was led by Sea Shepherd’s National Shark Campaign Coordinator, Natalie Banks and funded by Byron Shire Council and Ballina MP, Tamara Smith. Representatives of the 12-year Shark Spotters program in Cape Town, South Africa, provided expert advice – including looking at concerns such as visibility, glare and the distance and location of water users.
‘While we wait for the publication of a peer review of the data, initial feedback clearly illustrates that our shallow bays and clear water provide incredible visibility, and the area’s natural headlands make the Shark Spotting program a no brainer when it comes to providing security and peace of mind for ocean goers,’ Mayor Richardson said.
Ms Banks said she had ‘no reservations in saying that shark spotting would offer Wategos beach goers a lot more security than they currently have, and surfers would feel completely comfortable knowing that someone had their backs should a more permanent spotting program be provided.’
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