IT’S been a tough few months for Australian sharks.
The WA government reviewed its drum line program and has decided that, basically, it’s working and should be extended by another three years. Trouble is, it’s hard to really work out what “working” means.
First, some background. The program was in response to 10 deaths as a result of shark attacks in 10 years, which led to even usually laid back WA surfers getting a bit edgy and suggesting that maybe something should be done.
Despite massive criticism from the save-the-sharks lobby, the government ran a targeted drum line program over the second half of last summer off popular swimming and surfing beaches. They used big hooks and big baits to specifically target really big sharks and hopefully minimise the chance of killing unintended by-catch species, particularly whales, dolphins, seals and turtles.
The catch was 172 sharks, over which 50 were three metres or longer, including a 4.5 metre tiger shark off Floreat beach. The only non-shark species hooked were seven rays and one North West blowfish. Considering the massive hooks being used, and that blowfish only get to 97cm, it must have been keen … but what the heck, this particular blowfish species has a reputation as “a fearless predator well known for its attacks on humans.”
So the program is seen to be “working.” Well, maybe. No fatal attacks during the trial, but any student of logic will tell you that “program + no attacks = success” may not necessarily constitute proof. And what shark seems to be responsible for most fatal attacks on surfers? Isn’t it the protected white shark? And how many of those got caught on the drum lines? None. Does that mean they’re smarter than tigers and whalers, or that they just weren’t in the vicinity?
So you’d have to say the results aren’t exactly clear cut, but if in an extended three year drum line period there are no new fatalities, a government decision to extend won’t look too bad. If they didn’t extend, and there were new fatalities, the popular press would kill them in print. If they did extend, and there are still attacks, at least they can say “we tried.”
Over in NSW we mesh our most popular surfing beaches, and shark attack rates have been historically very low since the program was introduced in the 1930s. In Queensland, meshing and drum lines are both employed. Opponents complain about by-catch, whale-tangling and killing apex predators randomly, none of which are desirable outcomes, but no government has ever seriously considered suspending these programs, despite making occasional sympathetic noises. No politician would want to tell a grieving parent that their child’s death may have been caused by something they did, so WA drum lines will probably be a reality for a good while yet if attack rates stay low.
But, as they say, the only way to positively ensure you’re not attacked is to stay out of the water.
