Garie Beach - Do you think we should cull sharks in Australian waters to reduce attacks?

Do you think we should cull sharks in Australian waters to reduce attacks?

With the third shark attack on Sydney beaches in 3 weeks, people are getting pretty worried about the dangers of swimming in the ocean. Do you think we should cull shark numbers? If not, what else do you think we could do to make it safer to be in the water?

Public Comments

Culling has never worked and it upsets the natural balance in the oceans ecosystem, so I don't advocate it. What about the new electronic repellent devices that are showing some success?
Of course not! The ocean is their domain, not humans. If people want to swim in the sea then they should be prepared for a possible attack.
No. Shark attacks are so rare they represent an almost infinitesimal risk to humans. If resources are given to prevent loss of lives we should focus on making the roads safer, and tackling obesity.
I think we should cull cars, they seem to be involved in a lot of unprovoked attacks on people lately! If that works, then would should start culling sharks.
Yes , sharks should be culled.
Yes. They are a pest. We should get rid of them
no,it would make more sense to educate stupid ppl on when and where to swim.
Definately not. We cannot go around trying to wipe out the whole species for the actions of a few atypical individuals. Obviously particular sharks which are harassing people often have to be culled, in the most extreme of cases, but on the whole shark attacks can easily be avoided if people swim at the right times. It does seem worrying and horrifying for the (usually) innocent victims when they do happen, however, the media over-exaggerates their danger to mankind. The Australian general public are overall well informed of the dangers- which are still minor- so enter the water at their own risk. If the media coverage is this great, then surely fewer and fewer people are going to be taking a dip in the near future? It is important to remember that sharks very rarely target humans as prey. We are bony, distasteful creatures. Just because lions sometimes kill people, you wouldn't go around killing all the lions in the world would you? Sharks should have the same rights. fewer people swimming = fewer shark attacks.
No definetely not, if we were not over fishing the oceans sharks most probably would be content with feeding on natural prey and not munching on the odd human. Just out of Western Port Bay in Victoria we have a what is believed to be a Great White nursery, I have seen sharks longer than the 15ft boat we have been fishing from. There have been no one taken in Wetern Port bay by these sharks as yet, why? because Seal rocks provides all the food they require. I have a healthy respect for these creatures and my family know that if I was ever taken by one I would not want the shark killed.
No we should not cull sharks, it is the surfers who enter the sharks domain at their feeding time (dawn and dusk) and 99% of surfers know the risks associated with surfing at the feeding time. Think of it this way, would you go to a lion's pride and yell "Look at me I'm a tasty human to eat!" and then cull the lions cause the human was eaten? No it was their own fault. Well thats the same with the sharks A good way to stop the shark atacks is for us to stop over fishing, the sharks have less food in the ocean so they are looking for new feeding grounds. And unfortuantly a human in a wet suit and/or on a body/surf board look like a nice big fat juicy seal. Its a case of mistaken identity.
No. There are many ways of getting killed and this is one of the least likely.The risk is there and you should weigh it up before you enter the sea. The shark is in the water for a reason and we have done enough damage already. We should be looking for ways to lessen our impact on the environment, not make it worse. My guess is that more surfers die from cars, drugs, including alcohol, and other activities, than they do from shark attacks, but they would concider these to be acceptable risks.
no way are you mad.......we should be culling HUMANS as we are the pest not them, plus there are more of us in the ocean than sharks, plus what makes us so special that we make drastic decisions to start killing sharks just cause they taken a life when its the ocean belongs to them not us, we're just too selfish
If the sharks dont get you, the crocs will! or jellyfish, blue ringed octopus, there is danger in the water, enter at your own peril. Hell, we might as well kill everything in the ocean, why stop at the sharks! perhaps if we stayed out of the water, sharks wouldn't be a problem.
no. why should we we swim in their home they don't come into ours.we should just be very aware they are there and check the water before you go for a swim and don't swim late afternoon or before sun up.to reduce the risk.
No. The sea is their home - what right have we to cull them when all they are doing is living in their natural environment? Nature has ways of culling herself if need and we should leave them be. Most survivors of shark attacks are against the culling of sharks - shouldn't that say something? Let them be, its their home we swim in, so if we want to take the risks then we need to remember there may be consequences.
No. Just culling sharks is an utterly unintelligible response. The fact that humans are in the water purely for recreational purposes makes it all the more nonsensical. I love being in the ocean but the fact is that the water is NOT OUR DOMAIN. It is theirs! Enter at your own risk. Use your brain! In the 1960's/70's there was a shark cull in response to a few attacks. The result was a wholesale slaughter that sees the grey nurse shark still today regarded as being endangered. The real tragedy was that all too late it was realised that the relatively docile grey nurse was not responsible for any attacks! Culling of sharks pushes the ecosystem into disbalance.
Definitely not!! Why do we think we have the right to kill a natural predator because we have a misguided belief we are superior.We have hunted for food ever since time began, as have sharks and being that we are both animals, it is a sharks right to eat! I know it is an old chestnut but it is a fact: We do not have gills, we are not meant to inhabit the water, the ocean is a sharks domain and if we choose to enter their habitat and get attacked, OUR FAULT! I do not sympathise with, or love sharks. And anyone who knows me, i am not a greenie, i just live in the real world. Maybe nets, or more patrols. Closing beaches that are high risk areas, and yes if that means a place like bondi so be it! And if you are more worried about losing money or tourism etc. then saving lives obviously is not your first concern. But the only real way to avoid being attacked by a shark, swim in a pool!
Definately not. The ocean is where sharks live, and where they have a right to be. Humanity lives on land and if we venture into the ocean we all know what the risks are. We have no right to cull anything just because it interferes with our leisure. Sharks have a vital role to play in its own environment and should be left alone. We interfere at our peril. Colin Mountford. Brisbane.
1 major rule that humans have yet to learn - We are not smarter than mother nature. Culling sharks or any top predator has a major effect on the ecosystem. By the way culling humans would also reduce the number of shark attacks - but that may be a tad over the top. Shark attacks are great for the media, but how many people are killed each year from bee stings? You may be surprised at the answer. People get so emotional about shark attacks - if they would show the same emotion againts car accidents our roads would be safer places. Could you imagine the uproar if 10 people were killed around Australia by shark attacks on a long weeked - killed by cars, and the idots behind the wheel we all seam to accept this as a fact of life - no big deal. The bottom line is that I am far more afraid to drive to the water than to get into it. I accept that there is risk in both of these activities but by educating and training myself about the environment around me I can help to minimize both these risks. A great majority of shark incidents could be avoided with a little education, but inherantly there are risks whenever humans interact with each other or nature - thats a simple fact. The world is a dangerous place - humans are the scariest animal on the planet. Humans kill for food, sport, accidentally, war (which means I want what they have, and I'll take by whatever means possible because I don't want to work for it) in the name('s) of god('s) and quite often just for the plain old fun of it. No other animal kills for all these reasons. There is only 1 comodity on the planit in which there is far to much of and that is humans. We can control our surroundings more than any other animal on the planet. Lets hope that we can allow some of the other creatures to have a place here.
The 3 consecutive shark attacks are purely an unfortunate coincidence, but no-one has been killed thankfully. In the same period in Sydney there would have been more murders and malicious wounding towards people by people. Perhaps we should focus more on that problem. I worry a lot more about my girlfriend, mother and sister walking along the street at any time of day than I do if they go swimming. As for making swimming safer; it's called risk management. I'm in Coogee SLSC and I see tens of people swimming a couple of hundred metres off-shore everyday. It's not necessary to go out so deep to swim a few laps. Keeping closer to shore can minimise the risk. Sharks are generally in deeper water, and you're increasing the chances of an encounter by being in that deeper water. Ben Burdett
yes we too need to use the ocean, there are too many sharks now or we may need to put shark proof fances accross our coast line but the cost would be great on the tax payer.
Absolutely not People need to realise that this is the domain of sharks not humans, we need to be aware of the risks as i am sure most surfers and divers are until sharks grow legs and start feeding on land LEAVE THEM ALONE!!
NO ! Who the hell are we to cull sharks for the sake of a LEISURE swim?Go swim in a pool,dam,river,lake,billabong,pond or puddle.I would be more scared of a pedophile,rapist or murderer as we are surrounded by them,we can't pic them, & they move amongst us all day.The shark is in his territory minding his business looking for nibbelies. How "TO SERVE MAN" ? on a see food platter of course. .............Melinda.
Many years ago there were safe sea swimming pools constructed along the beach sometimes as part of the pier.They did require maintenance against storms, but at least the kids could swim without fear.Sharks have always been a presence,surfers and open sea swimmers will always be at risk,and the sea shore is so vast,only a well tested reliable electronic deterent worn by a swimmer is an option.Someone out there who can design this thing is going to make a fortune! So come on all you young electronic wizzes! Here's your chance to shine!
They can't because they're protected. Too much red tape, by the time they do this it will be May and hardly anyone will be swimming then. If it was a great white again then they need to move a few of them they are getting too close to the beaches at this time of year. In this area there have been big increases in protected fishing zones at some headlands. This has resulted in a big increase in fish because of the decrease in fishing. You can't say to people 'don't swim at these times'. There are simply too many people in these city areas. The government has a problem if this 3rd attack turns out to be the infamous white pointer. Yes the attack occurred early in the morning but this was the major surf break on the beach close to a rocky headland and the sun was up. Many people I know go swimming at this time because they have to go to work. Since this was a Sunday it's not impossible that a rock fisherman has put tuna oil in his berley trying to attract salmon. Sharks love salmon and tuna. The boy and father were about to be joined by 6 other surfers at the time of the attack. He's lucky to still be alive.
NO.people need to respect the sharks domain and the councils have to get together to find a solution to the problem sooner rather than later.
NO -- If you work out how many people get killed by Sharks and how many people get killed by Humans, then work out which species should be culled
If people are worried about getting bitten or killed by sharks, they should stop swimming & surfing during their feeding time. The ocean is their domain and we are the ones who invade it. The same can be said for the crocs in NT. People are warned time & time again and still they choose to ignore these warnings. These creatures are magnificent and they should be respected, not culled!
its their domain, they don't have the (i will attack a human)thought in them we are a potential source of food,. the human kills everything. we are the most cruel species, because we know we cause suffering. KEEP OUT OF THE WATER.,its just bad luck if you happen to be there, when they are.
One word SHARKWATER. (its a documentary on sharks made 2007) I watched the documentary on the weekend and it demonstrates the danger of shark culling not just for safety but also for their fins. This mindless culling is a huge trade in other countries and it is having a large impact on the shark population. Which in turn can create a huge imbalance in the eco system. Ultimately affecting us. To minimise the danger of shark attack people need to be educated more about them to understand why they attack us which is a case of mistaken identity and their feeding times dusk and dawn.
let's cull humans instead, unbelievable we even suggest such a thing, we are in their territory, we are the intruders, they are only doing what comes natural, if we are prepared to swim around in their world, then you are accepting the risk you can be their breakfast lunch or tea. Fluro YELLOW is a known color to all sealife that they associate with toxicity, perhaps we should all wear fluro yellow speedos or boardies or wetsuits. they also are repelled by a high pitch sound, is it possible in this technologic age that we could have a watch like device that could be used in case of emergency.
Sharks should not only be culled but wiped out completely. They are sinister, predatorial, man-hunters. Shouldn't humans be number one on our priority list, people?? It seems that too often these days, in an attempt to be 'politically correct', certain groups are putting animals up on a pedestal. NOOOO - they do NOT have the same rights as humans. That's why we are the superior species. I don't believe in the senseless slaughter of any animal, but I am sick of these conservation freaks that go way overboard in their quests to afford animals the same rights as humans. They should all be sent to Antarctica and reproduce with their beloved seals and polar bears.
Of course not. Shark attacks are exceedingly rare and it is a big media drama that makes them seem more common than they actually are. That said, I always find it silly that people swim in waters inhabited by a shark's natural prey, during the times of a day when a shark is most active, doing something like surfing, which makes them look exactly like a seal or sea lion. If someone painted their butt white and ran around the bushveld at dusk would they really be surprised if a lion or leopard attacked them?
Although the authorities claim shark attacks are not on the increase, and it is all just increased reporting, I am not convinced. I suspect that increased human population and overfishing of the oceans is forcing sharks closer to shore more often, and more attacks are a result of increased contact with humans. We have to reduce our own population and cease overfishing.
Typical human attitude. the ocean belongs to all marine life, if people get taken by sharks too bad, we have to respect the ocean & its inhabitants. We have enough public swimming pools but no we have to swim in the ocean & then complain if someone gets bitten, if we get attacked in a shopping center by a shark then yes kill the shark.
As an ecologist, It is all very carefully balanced in the ocean and killing the top predator would have serious effects cascading down the ladder.I can tell you that sharks are top predators and responsible for maintaining the natural balance of second and tertiary predators in the ocean, which in turn maintain the balance of non-predatory fish that feed on algae. Without sharks other predatory fish would increase in number and consume all the non-predatory fish, and then as they had nothing left to eat they would die whilst the non-predatory fish that feed on plankton and algae would increase feed on all the algae, which produce oxygen and consume carbon dioxide. As humans we rely on the ocean to produce oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide to slow down the greenhouse effect and also on many varieties of fish for our survival and cannot afford to upset the balance of the ocean. When we catch fish,say trout or salmon, these fish exist in abundance so the effect is not so great (though in the El nino waters, the over catching of small fish means this area is no longer bountiful because the larger fish had nothing to eat and died). However, since sharks are not as abundant as smaller fish to start off with, culling just a few would upset the ecological balance of the ocean in a major way.
This is the 21st century, not the 19th. we understand more about how culling will affect the environment, and culling sharks wont stop attacks.
No! What would that achieve? Nothing really they are part of our oceans and we NEED them there as part of the echo system, and they don't attack generally because they like to eating people. They're more likely to attack you because they're not sure what you are. We want to swim in the oceans but then eliminate all the risks that come with it. Things that can be done to prevent shark attack; *Wear coloured wet suits. (Or you could be mistaken for a seal.) *Listen to reports before you go diving of sightings in the area you want to swim or dive in. (And don't think you can reason with a shark.) *Learn about how to handle a situation where a big shark approaches your tin boat. They can 'smell' fear and respond more to sudden movements. just a few things.... More people are killed in road accidents every year, does that mean we should stop driving cars?
definately a season of hunting in combination withsome croc shooting would be great sport i would prefer high powered rifles and high explosives would be the way forward this could be a reason to reintroduce assault type rifle to the general public
No not at all it doesn't help the natural eco system and most sharks are protected so no it would barely make a difference
No! i think its simply ridiculous that people like Kochie think its a great idea to go and kill sharks, or try to hunt down the ones that bite people. You swim in the ocean, its a risk you take. Especially when these people are swimming at dusk. Kochie's a wanker and ough to stick to money.
absolutely not. people are always the problem when it comes to nature. solution: stop over fishing & pumping waste into our seas. there is a natural balance in nature. people have long been unnatural.
No fucking way.... they keep the seas in balance as they are at the top of the food chain.