Not sure if you have been aware, but Western Australia government have announced that they want to cull their sharks by installing baited hooks off Perth’s popular beaches in response to seven fatal shark attacks in three years.
Shark fishermen will patrol WA waters and kill any tiger, bull or great white shark bigger than three metres spotted in the designated zones, while any sharks hooked on the drum lines will be killed and disposed of offshore.
Australians are protesting at these plans, and last Saturday more than 4,000 people gathered for a demonstration at Perth’s Cottesloe beach .
The Shark Culling announcement outraged conservation groups and many ordinary WA residents including Natalie Banks.
Ms Banks, a long-time scuba diver, organised the Cottesloe rally. She said that she was thrilled with the turn-out, and hoped it would convince the state government to reverse their decision.
“We’d like to see this policy reversed or changed to recognise the fact that we want to make sure human lives remain safe, but we want to protect the marine wildlife as well.
“We need more research and more information before we cull sharks, we can’t even guarantee these bait lines will work. It goes against all available science…”
Similar rallies were held simultaneously in every other Australian state to protest the state government’s policy.
Help stop the Shark Cull
Please show your support.
- Joining the facebook page Support our Sharks
- Sign the petition set up by the same people, calling on The Western Australian Government: Call off plan to cull sharks near WA beaches
