Majority of sharks found on Great Barrier Reef drum lines found dead.
The Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT), in the case of Humane Society International (Australia) Inc and Department of Agriculture & Fisheries (Qld) [2019] AATA 617, had ordered the Queensland government “to carry out the Shark Control Program in a manner that avoids, to the greatest extent possible, the lethal take of shark species” regarding the sharks caught on drum lines in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park two years ago. However, the Human Society International (HSI) discovered that around 80% of the sharks caught on the aforesaid location were dead, indicating that the authority was not even close to the ordered target.
HSI’s analysis showed that 137 out of 178 sharks died after being hooked on drum lines off the marine park’s popular beaches between February and December 2020. Lawrence Chlebeck, a marine biologist in HSI, said that the frequency of drum line checks had been increased after HIS went up to AAT, but the current frequency of up to 260 days in the year was still well short of the tribunal’s preference for daily checks.
Chelbeck further contended that there was still no sign of a tribunal-ordered trial of smart drum lines, which uses GPS transponders to alert fisheries contractors when something has been caught, increasing the chances of a live release.
The Queensland State’s Fisheries Minister, Mark Furner, furnished a differing point of view in stating that human life remained the top priority. He has previously provided statements such as “the government stands by the shark control program, which has been keeping Queenslanders and visitors safe since 1962,” and “will not make changes until effective alternatives suitable for Queensland conditions are identified.”
Furner’s remarks were disappointing as the state’s “lethal component” of the shark control program “does not reduce the risk of unprovoked shark interactions”. Biologists and green organisations now urge for a more comprehensive shark control program including a SharkSmart education campaign, educating swimmers to avoid being in the water at dusk, to always swim with a friend, and to stick to patrolled beaches.
Courtesy of Marco Poon.
Source: The Guardian
