❓ Mr. Jacob asks about the government's commitment to protecting WA beaches from shark attacks. The Minister outlines recent fatal attacks, increased shark activity, and the government's $6.85 million investment in research and mitigation strategies.
AnsweredQoN 653Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
SHARK ATTACKS —
PREVENTION
653. Mr A.P. JACOB to the Minister for Science and
Innovation:
Before I ask my question, I acknowledge members of the Iluka
Home Owners Association who are sitting in the Speaker's gallery.
I was very pleased to welcome the minister to the Mullaloo
Surf Life Saving Club this morning for his announcement about the Liberal–National
government's commitment to promoting research into shark mitigation
strategies. For the benefit of the house, can the minister please update
everybody here on the government's commitment to helping protect
Western Australia's beaches from the threat of shark attacks?
PREVENTION
653. Mr A.P. JACOB to the Minister for Science and
Innovation:
Before I ask my question, I acknowledge members of the Iluka
Home Owners Association who are sitting in the Speaker's gallery.
I was very pleased to welcome the minister to the Mullaloo
Surf Life Saving Club this morning for his announcement about the Liberal–National
government's commitment to promoting research into shark mitigation
strategies. For the benefit of the house, can the minister please update
everybody here on the government's commitment to helping protect
Western Australia's beaches from the threat of shark attacks?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Ocean Reef
for the question. Indeed, I was pleased to visit —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Order, members!
A government member interjected.
Mr
J.H.D. DAY : That shows dedication!
I was pleased to visit the member's
electorate this morning, and the Mullaloo Surf Life Saving Club in particular,
to talk about this issue. From the indications given by one of the tagged
sharks that visited the area this morning and triggered the alarm, it is a site
of a substantial amount of shark activity.
Mr
A.P. Jacob interjected.
Mr
J.H.D. DAY : How many?
Mr
A.P. Jacob : Nineteen times.
Mr
J.H.D. DAY : The alarm was triggered 19 times. It was certainly an
appropriate location.
It is tragic that there have been
five fatal shark attacks in Western Australia since September last year. Each
of those attacks is believed to have involved a great white shark. There have
been 10 fatal shark attacks in Western Australia since the death of Ken Crew
off north Cottesloe in 2000. Prior to Ken Crew's death, the last fatal
shark attack in Perth occurred in 1925 when 55-year-old Samuel Ettelton was
mauled by a tiger shark while floating on his back at Cottesloe. His death,
which occurred two years after the death of 13-year-old Charles Robertson in
the Swan River, sparked a high degree of concern and the construction of a
never-completed shark net at Cottesloe. Nevertheless, from 1925 to 2000 there
were no fatal shark attacks off Perth and shark attacks were a fairly rare and
infrequent occurrence in the rest of Western Australian waters. There has
clearly been a significant acceleration in the frequency of shark attacks,
particularly off Perth and in Western Australian waters more generally over the
past decade or so. Divers, surfers and swimmers, particularly in the south west
part of the state, enter the ocean knowing that a shark attack, while unlikely,
is certainly a possibility. That is in sharp contrast to the attitude five to
10 years ago. The evidence seems to suggest that there are more great white
sharks, but we do not know why there are more attacks apart from the greater
frequency which, I guess, makes them more likely.
We know little about the behaviour
of great white sharks, and what we thought we knew has been challenged in more
recent times. About a month ago, the state government allocated $6.85 million
for additional activity to protect the community from shark attacks. Out of
that funding, $2 million is being made available for research over the next four
years to focus on shark mitigation and deterrents. Some examples of that
research include new methods of deterring sharks, personal shield repellents,
specialised wetsuits and the monitoring of shark movement and behaviours. The
government will receive recommendations from the Shark Hazard Advisory Research
Committee—appropriately abbreviated to SHARC—which is being
chaired by the Chief Scientist, Professor Lyn Beazley, and applications are
currently open for the first round of funding. Those applications close on 21
November, and we will make some announcements in December about the first round
of funding to improve our knowledge and effectiveness in this very important
area.
for the question. Indeed, I was pleased to visit —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Order, members!
A government member interjected.
Mr
J.H.D. DAY : That shows dedication!
I was pleased to visit the member's
electorate this morning, and the Mullaloo Surf Life Saving Club in particular,
to talk about this issue. From the indications given by one of the tagged
sharks that visited the area this morning and triggered the alarm, it is a site
of a substantial amount of shark activity.
Mr
A.P. Jacob interjected.
Mr
J.H.D. DAY : How many?
Mr
A.P. Jacob : Nineteen times.
Mr
J.H.D. DAY : The alarm was triggered 19 times. It was certainly an
appropriate location.
It is tragic that there have been
five fatal shark attacks in Western Australia since September last year. Each
of those attacks is believed to have involved a great white shark. There have
been 10 fatal shark attacks in Western Australia since the death of Ken Crew
off north Cottesloe in 2000. Prior to Ken Crew's death, the last fatal
shark attack in Perth occurred in 1925 when 55-year-old Samuel Ettelton was
mauled by a tiger shark while floating on his back at Cottesloe. His death,
which occurred two years after the death of 13-year-old Charles Robertson in
the Swan River, sparked a high degree of concern and the construction of a
never-completed shark net at Cottesloe. Nevertheless, from 1925 to 2000 there
were no fatal shark attacks off Perth and shark attacks were a fairly rare and
infrequent occurrence in the rest of Western Australian waters. There has
clearly been a significant acceleration in the frequency of shark attacks,
particularly off Perth and in Western Australian waters more generally over the
past decade or so. Divers, surfers and swimmers, particularly in the south west
part of the state, enter the ocean knowing that a shark attack, while unlikely,
is certainly a possibility. That is in sharp contrast to the attitude five to
10 years ago. The evidence seems to suggest that there are more great white
sharks, but we do not know why there are more attacks apart from the greater
frequency which, I guess, makes them more likely.
We know little about the behaviour
of great white sharks, and what we thought we knew has been challenged in more
recent times. About a month ago, the state government allocated $6.85 million
for additional activity to protect the community from shark attacks. Out of
that funding, $2 million is being made available for research over the next four
years to focus on shark mitigation and deterrents. Some examples of that
research include new methods of deterring sharks, personal shield repellents,
specialised wetsuits and the monitoring of shark movement and behaviours. The
government will receive recommendations from the Shark Hazard Advisory Research
Committee—appropriately abbreviated to SHARC—which is being
chaired by the Chief Scientist, Professor Lyn Beazley, and applications are
currently open for the first round of funding. Those applications close on 21
November, and we will make some announcements in December about the first round
of funding to improve our knowledge and effectiveness in this very important
area.
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