Western Australian shark cull facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The Western Australian shark cull was a policy by the state government to catch and kill large sharks near swimming beaches. This was done using special baited hooks called drum lines. The policy started in 2014 because seven people had died from shark attacks along the Western Australian coast between 2010 and 2013. Many people protested against the policy, both in Australia and around the world.

In September 2014, the regular use of drum lines was stopped. This happened after the Western Australian Environment Protection Authority suggested it. However, from December 2014 to March 2017, drum lines could still be used if sharks were seen as a serious danger to people. This allowed the government to kill sharks that were considered a threat. This part of the policy was criticized for possibly harming the environment. In March 2017, the new state government completely stopped using drum lines. But in August 2018, after more shark attacks, the government decided to try "SMART" drumlines for 12 months near Gracetown on Western Australia's South West coast.

Great white sharks were part of the shark culling policy in Western Australia.

Most sharks caught in the cull were tiger sharks.

Why the Shark Policy Started

Australia has the highest number of deadly shark attacks in the world. Western Australia became a very dangerous place for shark attacks, with the number of bites growing a lot over the last 40 years. Since 2000, there have been 17 deadly shark attacks along the West Australian coast. In the south-west of Western Australia, a surfer's chance of a deadly shark bite in winter or spring was about 1 in 40,000. For divers, it was about 1 in 16,000.

Because of this, the Western Australian government at the time, led by Premier Colin Barnett and Fisheries Minister Troy Buswell, created a new policy. This policy allowed and paid for drum lines to be placed near popular beaches. These drum lines had baited hooks to catch and kill great white sharks, bull sharks, and tiger sharks. Any shark caught alive and longer than 3 meters (about 10 feet) was to be shot and its body taken out to sea.

The main idea behind this policy was to make popular beaches safer by reducing the number of dangerous sharks. It aimed to attract sharks to the baited hooks instead of to people swimming or surfing.

After a change in the Western Australian government in March 2017, the new Premier Mark McGowan and Fisheries Minister David Kelly said they did not support the old drumline policy. However, in August 2018, this changed again when a 12-month trial of "smart" drumlines was announced.

How the Policy Was Put Into Action

The use of 72 drum lines to catch large sharks in Western Australian waters began in January 2014. Two "marine monitored areas" were set up. These areas stretched 1 kilometer (about 0.6 miles) offshore from Quinns to Warnbro in the Perth area, and from Forest Beach to Cape Naturaliste and Prevelly in the state's south. Professional fishermen were hired to hunt and kill sharks larger than 3 meters (about 10 feet) found in these areas.

Australia's Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt gave the WA Government a special temporary permission. This allowed them to harm or kill great white sharks, which are usually protected by national environment laws.

What Did the Policy Cost?

Documents that were leaked showed that the fishermen were paid $610,000 for 107 days of work setting and looking after the drum lines. The government's total plan to reduce shark risks, which also included more air patrols, was estimated to cost $20 million.

Support for the Policy

Programs that control sharks for a long time, using shark nets or drumlines, have been very good at reducing shark attacks at protected beaches. For example, in Queensland, there has only been one deadly attack on a controlled beach since 1962. Before that, there were 27 deadly attacks between 1919 and 1961.

In New South Wales (NSW), before nets were used in 1936, there was about one deadly shark attack every year. Since then, there has only been one deadly attack on a protected beach, which was in 1951. Similarly, the city of Durban in South Africa had seven deadly attacks between 1943 and 1951. But there have been none since nets were put in place in 1952.

Drumlines have also been very successful in Recife, Brazil. There, the number of attacks went down by 97% when drumlines were used.

The policy was also supported by the WA Supreme Court. A judge there rejected a request from the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society to remove the baited drumlines right away.

The Environmental Protection Authority of Western Australia (EPA) first decided not to formally check the policy. In March 2014, they said that because the policy was for a limited time and small area, it would not harm the environment much. The chairman of the EPA said that public opinion was not a reason to do an environmental check. He stated that "expert advice from competent, professional scientists" showed there was "negligible risk" to sharks. However, in April 2014, the EPA announced that they would do a Public Environmental Review of the shark policy.

Some surfers in Margaret River also supported the policy.

Opposition to the Policy

Protesters gathered on Perth's Cottesloe Beach to show their opposition.

Many groups and people strongly criticized the policy. These included animal rights groups like the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, No Shark Cull Inc., Humane Society International, Animals Australia, Australian Marine Conservation Society, Greenpeace Australia, Animal Justice Party, and Surfrider Foundation.

Several marine scientists from the University of Western Australia also shared their worries about the policy. They argued that killing sharks in this way was cruel, not needed, not scientific, unfair to animals, and harmful to the marine ecosystem.

The Australian Labor Party and the Australian Greens political party also spoke out against the shark cull.

Famous people who opposed the cull included surfer Kelly Slater, golfer Greg Norman, shark attack survivor and author Rodney Fox, swimmer Lewis Pugh, British comedian Ricky Gervais, and actor Stephen Fry. Entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson thought the policy might hurt tourism.

Those against the policy said that baiting and killing sharks, especially the great white shark (which is a protected species), was inhumane, bad for the environment, and would not really stop shark attacks. Environmental worries included catching other sea animals by mistake, small sharks drowning on the hooks, and the effect on shark populations that are already decreasing worldwide. The great white shark is listed as "vulnerable" on the IUCN Red List. Some people against the policy also believed that drum lines could actually attract sharks to popular beaches.

Thousands of Australians protested on two national days of action. These protests happened before and after the policy started. The biggest protests were at Perth's Cottesloe Beach and Manly, New South Wales. Smaller protests took place in other Australian cities, as well as in New Zealand and South Africa.

The Western Australian Premier Colin Barnett said that opposing the shark killings was "ludicrous" and "extreme."

The Leader of the Opposition, Mark McGowan, spoke against the shark cull policy at a protest and on social media. The Opposition Fisheries Spokesperson, Dave Kelly, also publicly criticized the policy.

The family of Sam Kellett, a man who died from a great white shark attack, protested the cull. They said Kellett would have also been against it if he were alive.

Strong Reactions Against the Policy

Protesters faced criticism for going too far to show their anger about the policy. This included threatening the lives of government ministers and a fisherman's family. The Premier's office was also attacked. Jeff Krause, who manages Queensland's shark control program, said he was "surprised and disgusted" by the threats and damage. He understood that people have opinions and that some believe it's the sharks' home, but he also understood the "senseless waste of human life."

Premier Barnett called the public opposition "ludicrous" and "extreme." His government claimed that killing the sharks was not a "cull," but a "targeted, localized, hazard mitigation strategy."

History of Shark Attacks in Western Australia (1960s to 2014)

1960s

In the 1960s, two deadly shark attacks were reported in Western Australia. Mr. Groves disappeared after falling from a boat near De Grey River. Robert Bartle was killed while spearfishing in Jurien Bay in 1967.

1968–1994

There were no deadly shark attacks recorded in Western Australia during this 27-year period.

1995–1997

In the 1990s, two deadly shark attacks were recorded. The victims were David Alan Weir (1995) and Werner Schonhofer (1997).

2000s

During the 2000s, four deadly shark attacks happened in Western Australia. The victims were Ken Crew (2000), Bradley Adrian Smith (2004), Geoffrey Brazier (2005), and Brian Guest (2008).

2010

In August 2010, 31-year-old Nicholas Edwards was killed by a shark while surfing at Cowaramup Beach near Gracetown.

2011

In September 2011, 21-year-old Kyle Burden was killed near Bunker Bay while body boarding. On October 10, 2011, 64-year-old Bryn Martin was killed at Perth's Cottesloe Beach while swimming. In October 2011, 32-year-old George Thomas Wainwright from the US was attacked by a shark while diving and spear-fishing off Rottnest Island.

2012

On April 1, 2012, 33-year-old Peter Kurmann was taken by a 4-meter (about 13-foot) shark, likely a great white, while diving off Stratham Beach. In July 2012, 24-year-old Ben Linden was attacked while surfing near Wedge Island. In August 2012, a study from Bond University suggested not using drum lines for shark safety in WA.

2013

In October 2013, the government planned to test a shark-proof barrier at Old Dunsborough Beach near Busselton. A similar barrier was put in at Coogee Beach in December 2013. On November 23, 2013, 35-year-old Chris Boyd was attacked by a shark, believed to be a great white, while surfing off Gracetown. In December 2013, over 100 shark experts signed a letter asking the WA Government to use non-lethal ways to protect beach-goers. They said they did not support killing sharks with drum lines or targeted fishing.

2014

It was claimed that stingrays and other animals were also caught by the drum lines.

The first shark was killed under the new policy on January 26, 2014, near Dunsborough. It was a tiger shark that was caught alive and then shot. Pictures of this caused a lot of discussion online. The Premier's office was also damaged, leading to increased security. Activists claimed to have removed bait from drum lines. The government announced that anyone interfering with the lines could face big fines or prison time.

On January 28, activists claimed to have video of them rescuing and releasing stingrays caught on the drum lines. They challenged the government for saying that catching other animals by mistake was not a big issue. Drum lines in other places have been known to catch dolphins, whales, and sea turtles, which are all protected in Australia.

In the first three weeks of the policy, 66 sharks were caught. Almost 75% of them were smaller than 3 meters (about 10 feet). Of these smaller sharks, nine were found dead and 40 were released alive. Fisheries officers killed 17 sharks longer than 3 meters. By February 18, figures showed that 95% of sharks caught were tiger sharks. Two Mako sharks were also found dead.

In February, over 10,000 responses were sent to the Western Australian Environmental Protection Authority about the shark policy. By April 30, 2014, a total of 172 sharks had been caught. Fifty of these were tiger sharks longer than 3 meters, which were then killed. No great white sharks were caught. Eight other animals, including stingrays, were also caught.

What Happened After September 2014

End of the Shark Cull

In September 2014, the Western Australian Environment Protection Authority suggested not using drum lines in the summers of 2014–2015 and 2015–16. The EPA chairman said there was too much uncertainty about how killing sharks longer than 3 meters would affect the great white shark population. Premier Colin Barnett then announced that the state government would no longer continue its drum line policy. Many experts and shark conservationists were happy about this decision.

Drum Line Use from September 2014 to March 2017

From 2014 to 2017, the Western Australian government still had the option to use drum lines if sharks were an "imminent threat" to public safety. This happened after a shark attack near Esperance in October 2014, where drum lines caught and killed two great white sharks. Drum lines were also set after a deadly shark attack near Albany in December.

In June 2016, a drum line was set off Falcon Beach in Mandurah after a deadly shark attack on a local surfer. A 4.2-meter (about 14-foot) great white shark was killed. A few days later, a diver was killed by a shark in Mindarie, and drum lines were set there too.

Western Australia South West Coast SMART Drum Line Trial

After more shark attacks along the Western Australian coast, including three deadly ones between May 2016 and April 2017, people wanted the government to act. Since December 2016, SMART drumlines have been used along the New South Wales North Coast. During that trial, there were no shark attacks at beaches with SMART drum lines. People in Western Australia wanted their government to use the same non-lethal strategy.

In April 2018, two non-deadly shark attacks near Gracetown led to the cancellation of a surfing event. After these events, in August 2018, the West Australian Government decided to try SMART drum lines for 12 months near Gracetown. Environmental and animal rights groups are against the SMART drum line trial, saying it will cause animals to suffer. In November 2018, over 7,000 Western Australians signed a petition asking for the trial to be stopped. On January 17, 2019, the Environmental Protection Authority of Western Australia said the SMART drumline trial would have very little impact on the environment. The trial began in February 2019. By December 2019, over 100 sharks had been caught, including two great whites.

Shark Culling in Other Places

Shark culling currently happens in Queensland, New South Wales, KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa), and Réunion (France). In these places, devices like shark nets or drum lines are used to kill sharks. New South Wales uses only shark nets, while Queensland uses both. These regions call their programs "shark control." Environmentalists criticize these programs, saying that killing sharks harms the marine ecosystem.

Between 1950 and 2008, 352 tiger sharks and 577 great white sharks were killed in nets in New South Wales. During this time, a total of 15,135 sea animals were killed in the nets, including whales, turtles, rays, dolphins, and dugongs.

Queensland's "shark control" program killed about 50,000 sharks between 1962 and 2018. In Queensland, sharks caught on drum lines are left to die, and those that survive are shot by people hired by the government. More than 84,000 sea animals have been killed in Queensland's shark culling program, including turtles, dolphins, and whales. This program has been called "outdated, cruel, and ineffective."

In a 30-year period, over 33,000 sharks were killed in KwaZulu-Natal's shark-killing program. During the same time, 2,211 turtles, 8,448 rays, and 2,310 dolphins were also killed. On Réunion Island, drum lines are used with long lines, killing about 100 sharks per year.

In Hawaii, a shark cull happened between 1959 and 1976, killing 4,668 sharks. Dunedin, New Zealand killed sharks for 40 years, ending its program in 2011.

Other Ways to Stay Safe from Sharks

Beach patrols and spotter aircraft are common ways to protect popular swimming beaches instead of using nets or drum lines. However, air patrols are not always very effective at stopping shark attacks. People who oppose the cull want other, non-lethal ways to be used to keep people safe. These include:

More shark tagging and tracking systems to warn people.
Catching sharks and moving them to waters far offshore.
Research into how sharks feed and find food.
Programs to teach the public about shark risks.
Encouraging people who do high-risk activities (like surfers, spear-fishers, and divers) to use personal shark protection technology.

In South Australia, spotter planes and patrolled beaches are used by the government to reduce shark attacks. In the late 2000s and early 2010s, drum lines and long lines were used in Recife, Brazil to move sharks, though some sea animals did die during that program.

Personal Shark Protection

Examples of personal shark protection technology include wearing or attaching electronic shark deterrents like Shark Shield to surfboards. Another idea is wearing wetsuits with special patterns or camouflage to make swimmers less visible to sharks in the water.

Images for kids

Shark attack fatalities in Western Australia by decade (1850–2014)