What do you think we should do to reduce shark attacks in Australian waters?
March 9th, 2010 | by admin |There have been 3 shark attacks in Sydney in the last 3 weeks including 1 in the harbour. What do you think we should do to reduce these attacks? Do you think hunting them is the answer?
No, sharks should not be hunted. Perhaps there may be a few more of them in the water now since the laws were put in place to protect them, but that’s a good thing. It means they’re on their way back from potential extinction from overfishing.
People need to be more personally accountable for the choices they make and the risks they take. Education would help too. There are numerous risks in entering the oceans off Australia that could be potentially fatal or make you ill. There’s rips, dangerous surf, sandbars to break your neck on, collapsing sandbars to sweep you out to sea, undertows, stingers/jellyfish, rays, sharks, puffer fish, polluted water from ocean outfall (ie treated sewerage) blown back in to shore, even crocodiles depending on where you go and when.
The key is knowing when to stay out of the water and when the odds are it’s safer to go in. You just need to learn what the dangers are so you can weigh the risk. And each time you go down to the water, make an intelligent choice about whether you decide to go in.
For info on shark behaviour and suggestions on how to gauge the risk of sharks check out the Australian Shark Attack File. It’s probably the best, up-to-date public resource: http://www.taronga.org.au/tcsa/conservation-programs/australian-shark-attack-file/shark-research.aspx
Just a thought – if you went to Africa would you traipse around on foot in a game park when you suspected lions, jackals and hippos might be in the area? Would you seriously want all dangerous wildlife hunted and killed just so that humans could safely go anywhere any time?
With an average of one person killed by shark a year in Australia for the last 50 odd years, it’s a pretty minimal likelihood you’ll be killed by a shark if you take care to avoid the riskier scenarios. (eg swimming alone, swimming at unpatrolled areas, at dusk or dawn, when water is murky, when sharks are known to be in the area etc.)
50 Responses to “What do you think we should do to reduce shark attacks in Australian waters?”
By Presnix on Mar 9, 2010 | Reply
no
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By jamo_sldnx207 on Mar 9, 2010 | Reply
u should always carry a taser while in the water.
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By Peter Rabbit on Mar 9, 2010 | Reply
underwater gates. the community should place gates underwater to keep sharks out of certain areas. don’t hunt any animal or sea creatures, it’s not right.
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By retox on Mar 9, 2010 | Reply
no – they should not be hunted. Personally, if I knew there was the possibility that a shark would be in the water I wouldn’t go in there but as usual, the Aussies just keep going back for more – why?
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By John B on Mar 9, 2010 | Reply
stay out of the water
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By jamjamstar1992 on Mar 9, 2010 | Reply
Stay out of the water. The water is their world, their territory, their home. What would you do if a shark waltzed into your house? Would you stand there and ask it to leave?
Sharks attack because they feel threatened, when we go in the ocean we are invading their world. 90% of the time a shark only bites a human, they very rarely eat the human, they bite to see what the taste is like. They don’t consume because we taste like shit.
Leave the poor sharks alone.
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By 2837,1990, 239, 286 Kiwijoey on Mar 9, 2010 | Reply
There’s only one thing you can do. Ban all recreational water use.
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By Misty Blue avec new hairdo on Mar 9, 2010 | Reply
Could they not use some type of sonar noisey chasey away type thing?
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By Rick C on Mar 9, 2010 | Reply
no i don’t think hunting sharks is the answer. The sharks are in their natural habitat, the ocean. We are the invaders. Why should we bully our way into their habitat and kill them, so we can have fun in the water?
The shark, particularly the great white, is on the verge of exstinction. We MUST do something to preserve these magnicent creatures. They are my favorite creature, land or sea! It’s sad that so many people around the world are getting attacked, but perhaps it’s just nature at work. The sharks are feeling threatened because they know their populations are dwindling. So they are probably attacking to perserve their own lives.
I think it would be quite heinous to hunt the sharks! I say HELL NO! Let them live!
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By Proud To Be An Englishman on Mar 9, 2010 | Reply
simple answer keep out of the water where there are known to be sharks around, =their territory=
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By luv2travel on Mar 9, 2010 | Reply
I like the idea of sanctioned off areas for swimming – like a cage that would not cause large creatures to get trapped in it (unlike a net where they’d get tangled). It is tragic that there has been so much loss recently. We are invited guests into the waters that they call home, so we have to respect their space. If that means not swimming, then so be it. I don’t believe that we should hunt, kill or alter based on a "want" of recreation… killing based on a food need may be another matter. We simply need to be more creative about creating safe harbors for swimmers and recreation.
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By Michael © for Dewi Sant on Mar 9, 2010 | Reply
Hunting them is not the answer, staying out of the water is.
Who in their right mind goes swimming in shark infested waters?
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By waz0feen on Mar 9, 2010 | Reply
NO. people need to be educated about the risks before going swimming or surfing.
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By non-cockney rebel on Mar 9, 2010 | Reply
no
just keep out of the water
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By wacked_out on Mar 9, 2010 | Reply
they should stop giving publicity to the morons who go diving surfing or swimming at dawn, dusk or in murky waters when it is a well known fact that sharks are most active and feeding at these times. dont punish the sharks for doing what they are made to do. im keeping my a*se outta the ocean and in the pool!!!!
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By Olger H on Mar 9, 2010 | Reply
controlled hunting helps the population of any species it improves the lives of the ones that aren’t caught by increasing the food supply through less competition, it also protects the prey of predators allowing many species to survive because sharks don’t have laws controlling how many or what size fish they can eat, who knows how many species of fish have been wiped out due to shark over population
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By micky moo on Mar 9, 2010 | Reply
Start listening to the warnings that have been repeatedly given,
<DO NOT GO INTO THE WATER AT DAWN OR DUSK>
that would be a start.
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By Spongebob is my President! ;) on Mar 10, 2010 | Reply
I don’t think that we should hunt them, but there must be a lack of food somewhere for them to start going after humans. Sharks don’t usually do that.
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By clivewhitby on Mar 10, 2010 | Reply
Pull the plug and Drain all the oceans of water!! Problem solved!! Put the surfers in an enclosed area!!. Sharks are wild animals. They live on instinct. Humans supposedly have a bigger brain so that we are able to make choices and take risks. Surfers should have a licence to surf, like evrything else.Nothing is free anymore is it?? Now that would raise a few dollars for the govt??. We talk of the cost of rescuing yachts and boats on the seas. How much does it cost to sew an arm back on etc.
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By arnauddecotter on Mar 10, 2010 | Reply
It`s Very simple,swimming at dawn or dusk should be prevented as sharks will attack at those time as any other fishermen will tell u.fish feed in the morning and afternoon when the sun rise and sets,sharks are the same and will look for food at those time.SO,, dont go in the water when their feeding time.That will definitely reduce the num of attacks.. another idea will be some ultrasound device that surfers or swimmers could use on them to repel sharks,preventing the fish coming close to them., more powerful device could be put in the water near the swiming beaches on permanent basis. killing sharks is not an option,
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By cat on Mar 10, 2010 | Reply
don’t go swimming during feeding time.
hunting them is not the answer
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By KrypticKym on Mar 10, 2010 | Reply
GREAT mentality.
Mow down all the forrest so there are no more bush fires.
Kill all the sharks so there are no more attacks.
Make us all drink recycled water so were excused from managing natural supplies.
Turns out were more of a virus than caretakers. And we all know what happens to a virus that goes unchecked.
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By Cameron C on Mar 10, 2010 | Reply
There has to be some change of course – Sydney is a city build on its harbour and its been a pretty safe place to swim up until recently. The last fatal attack was back in 1963 and suggesting people don’tt swim is like asking the French to stop eating cheese..not going to happen.
The point ofcomparisonn I’d like to make is this.. If there was an aggressive land animal (lion, tiger, bear et al) increasingly roaming a populated area what would people do.. would they cry that its the animals domain so people should just stay in doors ? What istheh treatment of crocodiles in populated areas … they are removed.
People in Sydney are going to swim and hundreds of thousands of people visit Sydney each year to hang out at the beach..
I’m backing hunting or at the very least catch and release
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By JoshForrest on Mar 10, 2010 | Reply
Sharks are already heavily commercially fished.
Need to educate people when it is riskyer to be in the water at dawn and dusk, certain times of year etc.
They implemented this in South africa with excellent results.
When baitfish are close to shore, sharks will follow them in to feed. All of these attacks are because the shark thinks these people are fish or similar.
Note none of them have been fatal.
If a shark wanted to eat you it would…
The public needs to take some responsibility for thier actions.
Swimming, surfing at this time of year at dawn and dusk is risky. As long as people know these risks then they take them on thier own responsibility..
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By Power Flower on Mar 10, 2010 | Reply
You really want Vic Hislop running around with his harpoons again?
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By dwetzlerbed on Mar 10, 2010 | Reply
Hunting is definately not the answer. It really is not their fault that they attack. But sharks and I have a fantastic agreement… they don’t swim in my toilet so I don’t swim in theirs. It works well for all of us.
I heard on the news that it is because the waters are cleaner, whether that is true I really don’t know… but perhaps there was an upside to the pollution! I don’t have an answer however I do know that hunting is not the answer these sharks are endangered so hunting is not really an alternative.
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By jaldrick on Mar 10, 2010 | Reply
I think its up to the swimmer to use common sense, Attacks are happening at dawn and dusk "what is that telling us" If people choose to swim/surf during these times then they do so at their own risk. However the Government could channel extra funding to extend the times to include these times of the day.
I do not agree to the hunting of sharks. they only search for food
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By Gracie-Moo on Mar 10, 2010 | Reply
I don’t think hunting them is the answers, that would be very stupid.
The sharks live in the water, its their water, they have no where else to go, so its a risk people are just going to have to take when swimming in the ocean (especially at silly times, when your most likely to be bitten by sharks).
People wouldnt go running around certain parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, because there is a risk of been attacked by lions, its the same thing.
I say let the sharks be. People should be more smart about this situation. Hunting them is just a lazy, un-educated typical stupid human decision.
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By Mr Magic on Mar 10, 2010 | Reply
1: Drain the oceans
2: Stay out of the water!
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Common sense
By Sheltie7 on Mar 10, 2010 | Reply
I doubt we’ll ever reduce the number of attacks.
As more and more people take to the beaches there’s been to be attacks, but fortunately there haven’t been many fatal attacks over the years.
I think there could be a link to the banning of fishing along some of the coastlines with the introduction of marine parks. In a couple of these areas, some of the old fishermen are saying that the fish numbers have increased to such an extent that sharks are now coming in closer to feed.
Netting some beaches may be possible due to their shape but I think people just need to be aware of the fact that you’re swimming in an ocean that at certain times of the year are notorious for attacks.
The incident recently reported of two children swimming near bait fish could easily have been a tragedy waiting to happen. Perhaps more education is needed for the younger members of the population, visitors and immigrants may help.
Increased shark patrols may also be the answer but this would have to be council or government funded.
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By Tristan K on Mar 10, 2010 | Reply
sharks are animals, just like humans. some people seem to think sharks have a deliberate agenda to attack humans or something. sharks are programmed to attack anything that comes into their territory, a bit like humans in that way. as long as people go into their territory, i.e. the ocean, people are going to be attacked, so the only way to reduce these attacks is to stay out of the water, or swim in a shark-proof cage
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By Angela W on Mar 10, 2010 | Reply
Swim in the pool
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By naenae on Mar 10, 2010 | Reply
stop taking fish oil tablets, may help ur brain but when in water ur a fish to.
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By Kelly M on Mar 10, 2010 | Reply
Easy…………..Just stay out of the water.
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By tooty on Mar 10, 2010 | Reply
We were at the beach yesterday at Mooloolaba. It was crowded with families at the beach for the day. The shark siren went off and everyone left the water. Most of those people would have had fish and chips for lunch. The fish is caught locally, there are many seafood places competing for business, their catch piled high on display in the shops. This fish is also food for the sharks, but the sharks don’t get to eat it because it’s all there in the shops, cafes and restaurants. Leave the sharks alone, put big restrictions on fishing, and farm the fish for human consumption, But that won’t happen because the fishing industry is too big and greedy.
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By Robert B on Mar 10, 2010 | Reply
Leave them in peace, the water is their world, their home, their environment, they were there first, humans are the intruders. I also HATE animals being locked up in zoos while we’re on the subject. There are many humans that need locking in a cage for good.
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By cam g on Mar 10, 2010 | Reply
I’d say sharks feeding closer to shore lines is a product of overfishing the oceans. With the creation of marine parks (a good thing) sharks are obviously coming in closer to feed were the only food is. There numbers are not increasing, as some suggest, just that they are congregating in areas searching for food. Nets are not the answer as they pose a hazard to many other sea creatures.
I don’t know why people get so upperty about this, let’s face it, driving a car is still far more dangerous, but no one is suggesting that we stop driving them
The answer:
Short term – If you want to take the risk, take the risk,
Long term – manage our ocean resources so it just doesn’t support us, but everything else as well
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By Aicirt on Mar 10, 2010 | Reply
Sharks have been living in the ocean for millions of years. We are all aware it is their territory, but we have this obsession of going into the water and on the beach. Possibly 65% of Australian homes have pools yet still go to the beach.
If Sharks get them then they cannot complain. We are always moaning about species of all kinds being near extinction so why would we want to kill things that are happy in their environment. After all as so called HUMAN beings, we would want to defend our homes.
And NO I am not a Greeny I am in my opinion just a sensible person respecting the rights of others.
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My Brain
By defuser2002 on Mar 10, 2010 | Reply
Let them be. We kill many more sharks than people get killed. Most Shark species are on the decline. Including lot’s of animal species.
Human beings have this habit of wanting to control and interfere in everything. Explains why we are in such a mess on many levels.
We usually wait till it’s almost to late to do anything about something.
Like the lack of drinking water
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By ozgurl6827 on Mar 10, 2010 | Reply
Education I think is a big key:
1. Swim in groups or with others
2. Keep near patrolled beaches
3. Surfers/swimmers who go into deeper areas by themselves should look at buying shark deterrents
4. Avoid swimming at dusk/dawn
5. Don’t swim in murky waters
6. Avoid wearing dark wetsuits- you look more like a seal to sharks
I also think that perhaps (dispite protests) the fishing ban has probably contributed to the increase in shark numbers in the harbour, as their is more food is in more plentiful supply.
I don’t think hunting them is the answer; many species are endangered species already and we are going into their territory.
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One of the victims was a friend of a friend
By Joshua J on Mar 10, 2010 | Reply
let’s cull humans instead, unbelievable we even suggest such a thing, we are in their territory, we are the intruders, they are only doing what comes natural, if we are prepared to swim around in their world, then you are accepting the risk you can be their breakfast lunch or tea. Fluro YELLOW is a known color to all sealife that they associate with toxicity, perhaps we should all wear fluro yellow speedos or boardies or wetsuits. they also are repelled by a high pitch sound, is it possible in this technologic age that we could have a watch like device that could be used in case of emergency.
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By daveshannon@y7mail.com on Mar 10, 2010 | Reply
The ocean belongs to the fish, STAY OUT OF IT!
Idiots who ignore the warnings get no sympathy from me!
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By blackbeard_the_pirate on Mar 10, 2010 | Reply
The solution is quite simple. But it involves obeying God, so it won’t be popular.
"Genesis 9:5-6 And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man’s brother will I require the life of man. Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man."
Anything – human or animal – who kills a human being must be given the death penalty. In the shark’s case, it would involve locating and destroying the animal.
The reason for the increase in shark attacks is the same as the reason for the increase in murders, and it will worsen until we perform our God given duty – destroy all, both human and animal, who dare to take the life of one of God’s image bearers.
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Genesis 9:5-6
By REC on Mar 10, 2010 | Reply
When I’m attacked in my bathtub or pool by a shark, then I think we should hunt it down and shoot it! Until then, let them be – if you wish to swim where they live, do it intelligently and respect their home.
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By truth teller on Mar 10, 2010 | Reply
YES
Kill everyone of them so we have more fish to eat at lent.
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The Qu’ran
By smokin_hooch on Mar 10, 2010 | Reply
buy a swimming pool and swim in it also dont go surfing u gotta remember thats what sharks do swim and eat things its there water
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By ray10731 on Mar 10, 2010 | Reply
I have been scuba diving for a long time and I like shark a lot, specially with a bit of Lemon wrapped in foil on medium heat !
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By mytraea on Mar 10, 2010 | Reply
Save the sharks, they have been swimming in Earths oceans and seas for hundreds of thousands of years and it has been proven that they are The perfect predator, Only a pathetic human would believe himself higher on the food chain, unfortunately when you swim or surf where there are sharks you stand a better than average chance of being bitten.
I don’t swim in their backyard and they don’t swim in mine !!!!
Hunt Rapists, Pedeophiles, Murderers and other human Predators and leave the sharks alone.
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By Cunno . on Mar 10, 2010 | Reply
Its simple – dont go swimming at dawn or dusk.
The last 3 attacks have all occured during those times – everyone knows thats feeding time so why are they so surprised they get eaten??
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By Maxi on Mar 10, 2010 | Reply
I dont think hunting sharks is the answer. However, more beach control of swimmers/surfers is needed. There is a need to limit the exposure of stupid or overly brave people through education and strong supervision.
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