Natalie Banks
In January 2014, the first of many rallies against the Western Australian (WA) shark cull took place across the nation and eventually the globe. During this time, I have watched with alarm the way Governments within Australia have attempted to reduce shark encounters.
Three years on and it appears that the WA Government is getting the balance right with eco-friendly shark barriers being installed at various beaches throughout the state, the locally developed Shark Shield now being strongly supported throughout Australia and trials of sonar technology (again locally developed) taking place. However, the Barnett Government is still killing sharks posing a “serious threat” in the false belief that it will reduce shark encounters throughout the state. There is no science or example of this method actually reducing shark encounters, and unfortunately it is a misguided belief of the Premier.
In New South Wales (NSW), the story is a little different. Although I was ecstatic about the announcement of a $16m non-lethal trial of modern programs and products in October 2015, it appears that the state’s Department of Primary Industries (DPI), along with Ballina Shire Council are content with throwing any ‘solution’ towards reducing the current cluster of shark encounters in northern New South Wales, and in turn wasting taxpayer money.
Eco-friendly shark barriers for example are proving to work at low-medium energy beaches in Western Australia. However, instead of replicating this idea in New South Wales and trialling it at suitable beaches that already have shark nets, DPI and Ballina Council were adamant to install these barriers at high-energy beaches instead. Many people, myself included, advised the Department of Primary Industries that a barrier at high-energy beaches such as Lighthouse Beach in Ballina and Seven Mile Beach in Lennox Head would not be suitable; but our concerns, along with those of the local surfers regarding the placement of one of the barriers, fell on deaf ears.
As expected, the trials of the eco-friendly barriers in high-energy beaches were not successful. This doesn’t mean that these type of barriers cannot work at other beaches within NSW, and the very fact that they haven’t been considered at low-medium energy beaches in the state, given the 43 unwanted shark encounters at netted beaches in New South Wales, along with the environmental impacts, is alarming.
More recently, the Ballina Shire Council recently received funding from the New South Wales Government to install an observation tower at Sharpes Beach from the Department of Industries. These towers are being installed along the NSW Coastline, with the most recent installation being at Bombo Beach on the South-Coast just last week. Measuring approximately three meters in height, these towers are minuscule in comparison to the height advantages used by Shark Spotters in Cape Town, South Africa.
This highly successful program uses height advantages from cliffs and mountains measuring between 50 to 100m. This particular program was recommended by scientists to the NSW Government as the number one option for shark attack mitigation in the state. Yet, over a year later, there has not been a permanent program in place which utilises heights such as those made available at Pat Morgan Lookout at Lennox Point or the cliffs at Wategos Beach in Byron Bay or the use of dedicated signage and flags as well as emergency trauma training and kits at any beach in NSW.
The question must be asked why? Why would Ballina Council ignore the recommendations made by scientists and a professional shark mitigation operation which has literally saved a man’s life from a shark attack (as well as many more through the focus on education and prevention). Sharpes Beach offers little in the way of elevation and this was noted from the representatives of Shark Spotters when they visited Ballina, Byron Bay and Evans Head in March last year.
Perhaps it is to do with the fact that Ballina Council voted to ignore the report that Shark Spotters compiled for the region. Because as far as I can see, there is no evaluation criteria that wouldn’t be met by the Department of Primary Industries, if Ballina Council requested this tower at Lennox Point instead.
After three years of witnessing the waste of money and ridiculous political decisions made in this area, I have grown weary and wary of expecting sensible and evidence-based solutions to the issue of shark bite mitigation. Western Australia today, gives me some hope that perhaps in another three years, the northern-part of New South Wales will eventually get the balance right also.
Natalie Banks is the Founder of No Shark Cull Inc.
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