❓ The Minister for Fisheries provides an update on the conclusion of the non-lethal shark drum line trial, stating it will end as scheduled and additional investment will be made in shark tagging and other mitigation measures. The government is committed to keeping ocean users safe and is investing in evidence-based strategies.
AnsweredQoN 81Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
SHARKS — HAZARD
MITIGATION
81. Mrs L.A. MUNDAY to the Minister for Fisheries:
I refer to the state government's
commitment to helping keep people safe in the ocean and mitigating the risk of
fatal shark attacks.
(1) Can the minister please update
the house on the conclusion of the nonlethal shark drum line trial?
(2) Can the
minister also outline to the house what measures the McGowan government is
taking to ensure the continued safety and confidence of those using WA's
beaches?
MITIGATION
81. Mrs L.A. MUNDAY to the Minister for Fisheries:
I refer to the state government's
commitment to helping keep people safe in the ocean and mitigating the risk of
fatal shark attacks.
(1) Can the minister please update
the house on the conclusion of the nonlethal shark drum line trial?
(2) Can the
minister also outline to the house what measures the McGowan government is
taking to ensure the continued safety and confidence of those using WA's
beaches?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
thank the member for Dawesville for the question. I would like to take the
opportunity to congratulate her on her emphatic win and note the excitement
coming out of the electorate of Dawesville since she has been elected.
The
McGowan Labor government is committed to keeping people in Western Australia as
safe as possible. That includes our ocean users and coastal communities.
The SMART drum line trial commenced in 2019 and has now come to a close, having
provided valuable findings to the government that allow us to base our decisions on strong scientific evidence and
expert advice. An independent review by the Chief Scientist , Professor
Peter Klinken, has concluded that the trial was extremely well designed and
implemented in a highly skilful manner. I want to extend my thanks to the
contractors who have been out there over the past two years conducting the
trial. Professor Klinken has also concluded that the science does not support a
continuation of this technology for our unique coast. On the recommendation of
the Chief Scientist the trial will conclude on its scheduled end date of 20 May
2021, and additional investment will be made to the highly effective approach
of tagging white sharks.
We
are going to increase our support for shark hazard mitigation measures that we
know are helping to keep our ocean users and communities as safe as
possible. The McGowan government will spend an additional $5 million over the
next four years to deliver our highly successful shark mitigation program,
including increasing white shark tagging operations, upgrades to the shark
monitoring network, support for beach enclosures of our popular beaches and
continuing the personal shark deterrent devices rebate scheme for surface and
divers, which we know has been very popular. The success of our targeted shark
tagging program has been remarkable, with 22 white sharks tagged last year off
the WA coast and another nine this year, which is a total of 31 since 2020.
Fifty-one white sharks have been captured throughout the program since 2019,
compared with just two through the SMART drum line trial for the same period.
We are providing additional funding
of $2.8 million to increase the valuable tagging work and upgrade the state's
shark monitoring network receivers. It will enable our highly experienced shark
tagging team to spend more time on the water with the best chance of tagging
white sharks. The McGowan government will
upgrade the shark monitoring network by increasing the range of our 34
receivers to provide near–real time
alerts of the presence of target sharks. This valuable data and monitoring will
contribute to our capacity , importantly, to predict shark behaviour and
respond accordingly using our suite of shark mitigation measures. The upgrades
to next-generation digital live VR4 receivers over the next four years will
mean that detection of target sharks will have a longer range of up to 800
metres, a wider detection zone than the 500
metres currently in use. There are already two new-generation receivers in
place as Bunker Bay, and we will upgrade the remaining 32 receivers along the
coast from Perth south to Geographe Bay, Yallingup , Gracetown, Albany
and Esperance.
The McGowan government is investing
in shark hazard mitigation measures backed by strong scientific evidence and
expert advice to help keep WA ocean users and our communities as safe as
possible.
thank the member for Dawesville for the question. I would like to take the
opportunity to congratulate her on her emphatic win and note the excitement
coming out of the electorate of Dawesville since she has been elected.
The
McGowan Labor government is committed to keeping people in Western Australia as
safe as possible. That includes our ocean users and coastal communities.
The SMART drum line trial commenced in 2019 and has now come to a close, having
provided valuable findings to the government that allow us to base our decisions on strong scientific evidence and
expert advice. An independent review by the Chief Scientist , Professor
Peter Klinken, has concluded that the trial was extremely well designed and
implemented in a highly skilful manner. I want to extend my thanks to the
contractors who have been out there over the past two years conducting the
trial. Professor Klinken has also concluded that the science does not support a
continuation of this technology for our unique coast. On the recommendation of
the Chief Scientist the trial will conclude on its scheduled end date of 20 May
2021, and additional investment will be made to the highly effective approach
of tagging white sharks.
We
are going to increase our support for shark hazard mitigation measures that we
know are helping to keep our ocean users and communities as safe as
possible. The McGowan government will spend an additional $5 million over the
next four years to deliver our highly successful shark mitigation program,
including increasing white shark tagging operations, upgrades to the shark
monitoring network, support for beach enclosures of our popular beaches and
continuing the personal shark deterrent devices rebate scheme for surface and
divers, which we know has been very popular. The success of our targeted shark
tagging program has been remarkable, with 22 white sharks tagged last year off
the WA coast and another nine this year, which is a total of 31 since 2020.
Fifty-one white sharks have been captured throughout the program since 2019,
compared with just two through the SMART drum line trial for the same period.
We are providing additional funding
of $2.8 million to increase the valuable tagging work and upgrade the state's
shark monitoring network receivers. It will enable our highly experienced shark
tagging team to spend more time on the water with the best chance of tagging
white sharks. The McGowan government will
upgrade the shark monitoring network by increasing the range of our 34
receivers to provide near–real time
alerts of the presence of target sharks. This valuable data and monitoring will
contribute to our capacity , importantly, to predict shark behaviour and
respond accordingly using our suite of shark mitigation measures. The upgrades
to next-generation digital live VR4 receivers over the next four years will
mean that detection of target sharks will have a longer range of up to 800
metres, a wider detection zone than the 500
metres currently in use. There are already two new-generation receivers in
place as Bunker Bay, and we will upgrade the remaining 32 receivers along the
coast from Perth south to Geographe Bay, Yallingup , Gracetown, Albany
and Esperance.
The McGowan government is investing
in shark hazard mitigation measures backed by strong scientific evidence and
expert advice to help keep WA ocean users and our communities as safe as
possible.
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