❓ A parliamentary question regarding the effectiveness of the Premier's shark drum line program, given that most sharks caught were tiger sharks, which have a low record of attacks in WA. The Premier defends the program, citing recent shark attack fatalities and the need to protect beach users.
AnsweredQoN 10Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
SHARK DRUM LINE PROGRAM
10. Mr D.J. KELLY to the
Premier:
I refer to the Premier's shark drum line program and
the fact that 63 of the 66 sharks caught have been tiger sharks, most of which
were undersized, and to his Sharksmart website, which states that tiger sharks
have been responsible for only one possible attack in WA since 1980, 34 years
ago. In light of this, how can he possibly claim that his policy is a success?
10. Mr D.J. KELLY to the
Premier:
I refer to the Premier's shark drum line program and
the fact that 63 of the 66 sharks caught have been tiger sharks, most of which
were undersized, and to his Sharksmart website, which states that tiger sharks
have been responsible for only one possible attack in WA since 1980, 34 years
ago. In light of this, how can he possibly claim that his policy is a success?
AnswerView source ↗
This program using drum lines has been in operation for three
weeks. There has been a lot of commentary and a lot of debate about it,
obviously. The government took a decision to use drum lines late in December,
and they were in place by late January. That is quick by any standard. We have
not, therefore, had a full summer of monitoring to determine the outcome.
Although it might be only anecdotal, I think the prevalence of the great white
shark from September to December is pretty clear. The member is quite right; 66
sharks have been caught—23 in the south west and 43 in the metropolitan
area. Seventeen of those sharks were in excess of three metres, which is a
large shark by any standard. Sixteen of those 17 sharks were destroyed and one
had already died on the line. Forty-eight sharks were less than three metres,
but these were big sharks; they were two-metre and 2.5-metre sharks.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
They were not small sharks. People need look only at the size of the hook,
which was specially made to be large so that genuinely small sharks would not
be caught. Many of the sharks that were released were over two metres. They
were big sharks capable of causing severe injury, if not death. The criteria
that were adopted were for three varieties of sharks—great white, tiger
and bull—in excess of three metres because the evidence of fatal
attacks has shown that they were sharks generally over three metres in size.
Mr P.B. Watson interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Albany, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
People were saying that no sharks would be caught. The government intends that
this program will run through next summer. I expect that when the drum lines
are in place, there will be a wider distribution of sharks. Something has been
learnt. As the Minister for Fisheries has said, the aerial surveys, the tagging
and the apps are happening.
Several members interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
Can I make a comment about this?
Mr D.J. Kelly : No;
just answer the question.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : I
am answering the question. I want to make a comment about this. I respect
people's views. I understand that a significant portion of the
population does not support this policy, but this government was faced with the
reality that in over 100 years, there have been 20 fatalities from shark
attacks. There have been seven fatalities in the last three years. This
government—I accept the responsibility—had a responsibility to
act to protect human life and to minimise the risk to those people who use
beaches for swimming, diving and surfing. One thing is absolutely certain from
this debate —
Mr P.C. Tinley interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Willagee, I formally call you to order for the first time today.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
One thing is absolutely certain: the Labor Party would have been incapable of
making that decision—absolutely incapable.
Several members interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
Labor does not have a position. The member who asked the question said that
Labor could well keep the policy. The Leader of the Opposition comes out
supporting a commercial product over the weekend, the Shark Shield.
Mr M. McGowan : You
gave them money.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
The opposition is incapable of making a decision on this and the people of
Western Australia know that.
Several members interjected.
Ms
S.F. McGurk interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Fremantle!
[Interruption from the gallery.]
The
SPEAKER : Just let me tell
the people in the gallery, you are welcome to sit and listen to the debate, but
please do not make any comments, clap or make any other noise; otherwise, you
will be ejected from the gallery.
Member for Fremantle, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
To conclude, I want to make another observation about this topic. The Treasurer
has just reminded me that a boy
was killed last year in New South Wales by a tiger shark. Tiger sharks are
aggressive. The other observation I want to make about this is that while I
respect people's views and their right to protest, I will not accept
what is happening in this debate. I will not accept people engaging in and
promoting violence. As Premier, I will not accept threats on people's
lives. I will not accept the intimidation of people who have expressed their
view in favour of the shark cull, including people close to those who have lost
their lives through shark attacks. When the Leader of the Opposition went down
to Cottesloe Beach —
Several members interjected.
[Interruption from the gallery.]
The SPEAKER :
Please remove whoever is shouting out in the gallery. I want to hear the rest
of this answer in silence.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : I
am talking about when the Leader of the Opposition went down and took part in
the protest on Cottesloe Beach. I acknowledge the vast majority of people were
there because they opposed the policy and they were making their point known,
but a minority group engaged in and advocated violence and threatened and
intimidated people. Someone who hopes to be the Premier of this state should
not have done so.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Warnbro, I call you to order for the first time.
weeks. There has been a lot of commentary and a lot of debate about it,
obviously. The government took a decision to use drum lines late in December,
and they were in place by late January. That is quick by any standard. We have
not, therefore, had a full summer of monitoring to determine the outcome.
Although it might be only anecdotal, I think the prevalence of the great white
shark from September to December is pretty clear. The member is quite right; 66
sharks have been caught—23 in the south west and 43 in the metropolitan
area. Seventeen of those sharks were in excess of three metres, which is a
large shark by any standard. Sixteen of those 17 sharks were destroyed and one
had already died on the line. Forty-eight sharks were less than three metres,
but these were big sharks; they were two-metre and 2.5-metre sharks.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
They were not small sharks. People need look only at the size of the hook,
which was specially made to be large so that genuinely small sharks would not
be caught. Many of the sharks that were released were over two metres. They
were big sharks capable of causing severe injury, if not death. The criteria
that were adopted were for three varieties of sharks—great white, tiger
and bull—in excess of three metres because the evidence of fatal
attacks has shown that they were sharks generally over three metres in size.
Mr P.B. Watson interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Albany, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
People were saying that no sharks would be caught. The government intends that
this program will run through next summer. I expect that when the drum lines
are in place, there will be a wider distribution of sharks. Something has been
learnt. As the Minister for Fisheries has said, the aerial surveys, the tagging
and the apps are happening.
Several members interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
Can I make a comment about this?
Mr D.J. Kelly : No;
just answer the question.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : I
am answering the question. I want to make a comment about this. I respect
people's views. I understand that a significant portion of the
population does not support this policy, but this government was faced with the
reality that in over 100 years, there have been 20 fatalities from shark
attacks. There have been seven fatalities in the last three years. This
government—I accept the responsibility—had a responsibility to
act to protect human life and to minimise the risk to those people who use
beaches for swimming, diving and surfing. One thing is absolutely certain from
this debate —
Mr P.C. Tinley interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Willagee, I formally call you to order for the first time today.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
One thing is absolutely certain: the Labor Party would have been incapable of
making that decision—absolutely incapable.
Several members interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
Labor does not have a position. The member who asked the question said that
Labor could well keep the policy. The Leader of the Opposition comes out
supporting a commercial product over the weekend, the Shark Shield.
Mr M. McGowan : You
gave them money.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
The opposition is incapable of making a decision on this and the people of
Western Australia know that.
Several members interjected.
Ms
S.F. McGurk interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Fremantle!
[Interruption from the gallery.]
The
SPEAKER : Just let me tell
the people in the gallery, you are welcome to sit and listen to the debate, but
please do not make any comments, clap or make any other noise; otherwise, you
will be ejected from the gallery.
Member for Fremantle, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
To conclude, I want to make another observation about this topic. The Treasurer
has just reminded me that a boy
was killed last year in New South Wales by a tiger shark. Tiger sharks are
aggressive. The other observation I want to make about this is that while I
respect people's views and their right to protest, I will not accept
what is happening in this debate. I will not accept people engaging in and
promoting violence. As Premier, I will not accept threats on people's
lives. I will not accept the intimidation of people who have expressed their
view in favour of the shark cull, including people close to those who have lost
their lives through shark attacks. When the Leader of the Opposition went down
to Cottesloe Beach —
Several members interjected.
[Interruption from the gallery.]
The SPEAKER :
Please remove whoever is shouting out in the gallery. I want to hear the rest
of this answer in silence.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : I
am talking about when the Leader of the Opposition went down and took part in
the protest on Cottesloe Beach. I acknowledge the vast majority of people were
there because they opposed the policy and they were making their point known,
but a minority group engaged in and advocated violence and threatened and
intimidated people. Someone who hopes to be the Premier of this state should
not have done so.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Warnbro, I call you to order for the first time.
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