Shark nets have been implemented in locations across the world in response to shark sightings and attacks. Nets are submerged beneath the surface of the water, roughly 200 metres from the shoreline. The meshing is designed to be large to capture sharks, leaving them to struggle before eventually drowning under the weight of their own body. The meshing allows small fish to pass through, however captures larger fish and marine species. Shark nets provide no discrimination between common, vulnerable and endangered species, resulting in a high mortality rate for a variety of marine wildlife.
The largest issue associated with the Queensland shark control program (QSCP) in Queensland is the considerable damage it causes to marine wildlife along the coastline. It is indiscriminate when killing marine animals that swim in close proximity to the shark nets. Between 2001 – 2003, 6250 sharks were caught on drum lines alone, 97% of which were considered as a conservation risk according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
In addition to Western Australia’s targeted species being Great White sharks, Tiger Sharks and Bull Sharks, the QSCP contains a variety of additional target species, some of which have never been
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She stated, “only four or five animals trapped in the nets were actual target species. Nearly 90% were non-target species, so I see that as a failure … Too many non-target species that are protected under state or federal environmental laws are getting caught”. Ms Southwell was led to believe shark nets would be checked twice a day, and if weather conditions were rough they would be pulled out to protect marine wildlife. “It’s really disappointing that the department misled the public by telling them … they’ll be removing the nets at night time when they haven’t
In conclusion, shark nets do work and they don't. Scientist might find a way to prevent shark attacks with shark nets or in the feature they might find different ways. Or scientist may invent a way that will only prevent shark attacks and won’t kill any other sea life. To sum up, they need to do some thinking and protect the sea, which is great for sea life, and it is great for the
Fishery Scientist are constantly working on ways to protect shark species and reduce shark bite incidences. Others have proposed that sonar waves are placed on nets to try and keep sharks away. Researchers are also collecting data from the sharks that are caught by the fishermen to be in a position to better understand sharks, and how we can live in unity with them. A shark tagging programme to try to better understand shark movements and patterns could also assist instead of culling. Statistics show us that there have been drastic reductions in fatal shark bites since nets have been installed in NSW and Qld.
Every year hundreds of sharks get killed just because people fear them. Western Australia has brought in the Shark Culls after a series of fatal attacks. Most of these people attacked are usually surfers, swimmers or shark haters. Now imagine this, what if you were a shark swimming and suddenly someone tries to hunt your down, how would you feel? We wouldn’t like it very much if the sharks did the same thing to us. In the following paragraphs, I would give you three reasons on why Shark Culling should be abolished not only in Western Australia but also all around the world.
As they are at the top of the food chain, sharks play a very important role in the oceans in a way that an average fish does not. Sharks keep populations of other fish healthy and in proper proportion for their ecosystem. By preying on the old, sick or slower fish in a population, they prevent the spread of disease and prevent outbreaks that could be devastating. According to Ransom Myers from Shark savers, “sharks may be gone within the next decades if we continue to kill them, resulting in the loss of important foods that we depend on for survival, causing a marine ecosystem imbalance.” At the same time, I accept that shark nets could be useful, especially in shark infested areas that have been renowned as spots where many attacks have occurred, but I still believe, as you would, that scientists should spend more resources on working out why it is becoming more common for sharks to be entering shallower waters, looking for food – namely seals, who just happen to look like
The bull shark may be responsible for many shark attacks in the world but I believe that we have no right to kill them. Sharks are very important to animals food cycles and if the food cycles get messed up it can greatly effect the world. In fact, the bull shark is more vulnerable to human impact due to their ability to live in fresh and salt water but many sharks that are killed are for either shark fin soup or their liver oil. The sharks liver oil has many uses now but it started as a machine lubricant. Another way that sharks die is by recreational fishing. The sharks can get caught up in the fishermen's nets and eventually suffocate and die. As an environmental community, I feel like we need to inform people about shark habits and how to keep sharks safe. The water is their home and we are
Miller, Barbara. "The World Today - New shark attack sparks political frenzy." 2 March. 2009. Web. 15 Apr 2014. Available at: http://www.abc.net.au/cgi-bin/common/printfriendly.pl?http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2008/s2504985
Kish, P., 2012. Most Shark fishing is now banned from beaches and jetties in a year-long trial. [Online]
This was also during the time where there was a massive population boom, which caused made a higher volume of people going into the ocean during the summer, which prompted a higher rate of shark attacks. All of these combined created a sort of hysteria within people who were worried about their children’s safety in the water as well as their own. Soon, the government became worried as well. The government began implementing shark control programs where they would target large species of shark through nets and drumlines, which are baited hooks, and effectively kill them. One shark control program in Hawaii that lasted from 1959 to 1976 resulted in almost 5,000 shark deaths. More recently, Queensland, Australia has been implementing various shark control programs to ease the public’s fear of the water as well as attempt to create the ocean safer for summer activities. This program is ongoing and was implemented in
He wanted to better understand things about great whites such as their way of communication, their habitat, and how they use their instincts to figure out what is prey and what is not. Because Jaws gave him “access to all the scientists and environmentalists, and brought him closer to the ocean,” he was able to do just that (Roberts). Peter Benchley spent months, from the Southern Ocean off Australia to the southeastern tip of the African continent, expanding his knowledge on great white sharks. The more Benchley learned during his exploration, the more he “realized how little is really known about great whites” (Benchley). However, Peter Benchley managed to successfully campaign for the protection of the shark making sure that society knew that “these creatures have been responsible for only seventy-four deaths in the past one hundred years” (Roberts). He worked hard not only to prove the great white sharks’ innocence, but to make society aware of their behavior. Benchley made people aware of his newfound knowledge. In doing so, it was stated for the public to know that these specific sharks mistake human for its normal prey, and that is where some of the great white shark attacks come from. The Jaws’ author cleared the name for the animal that one of his characters describes as “an impossibly perfect piece of machinery” (Benchley 121). Peter Benchley exposed facts about the great white shark that helped people learn that the sharks really do not impose that much of a threat to society so no harm should be done against
Every year, there are about 100 million Sharks killed, ultimately for its commercial success. Their fins are used as the main ingredient for a dish so-called Shark soup. However, many are unaware of the actual importance of Sharks' existence on Earth. They do a number of things to control and balance aquatic life down below, which in return affects how we live on the surface. Sharks have existed in our world for over 400 million years, if they were to suddenly disappear for industrial purposes, much problems will be encountered throughout the world. We must preserve the lives of Sharks, for many reasons most importantly that shark hunting is morally wrong, it may provide economic failure in a given time, and it may serve a critical unbalance of a healthy environmental state.
In 2015 only 59 shark attacks have occurred around the world compared to the millions of sharks killed by humans every year. Due to these accidental shark attacks people tend to think that sharks, especially Great Whites are evil creatures with malice intentions when attacks do occur; but, on the contrary that is wrong. Sharks are not the only beautiful and unique creatures in the ocean, they also play a vital role in our ecosystem; however, due to human interference they might not be around much longer, through awareness sharks can be protected from endangerment.
This can lead to ecosystems becoming unbalanced, and even crashing altogether. For example, "...fleets spew as much greenhouse gases into the atmosphere as the entire profligate United States” (Whitty). Ships dragging nets and catching fish are producing large amounts of gases that are harmful to the environment. Additionally, "we decimate coral reefs and kelp forests" (Whitty). Dragging nets along coral reefs does serious damage to the coral. Small fish living in the reef don’t have protection from predators, causing the predators to eat more and more and eventually run out of food. This continues on until the entire ecosystem caves in on itself. On the contrary, "the totoaba's swim bladder is dried... and sells for as much as $10,000 per kilogram, or close to $5,000 a pound" (Malkin). Catching certain fish with drift nets can provide income for fishermen and the government. The government can use this revenue to help protect wildlife, such as setting up wildlife preserves. Then again, "after the expert panel, known as the International Committee for the Recovery of the Vaquita, estimated in 2014 that the number of vaquitas had fallen to 97 from about 570 in 1997" (Malkin). The money earned from drift nets is nothing compared to the fate of an entire species. Plus, taking all of these fish out of the ocean takes a serious toll on the ecosystem; catching predators and letting prey overpopulate, or catching too much prey,
February 8th 2013, a US Coast Guard patrol ship ran into an illegal, five-mile long gillnet filled with dead sharks, stretching as far as about 17 miles north between the United States and Mexico border. A total headcount of 255 blacktip, 2 bullsharks and 109 bonethead sharks were trapped and killed inside the gillnet. ON ONLY MARKED PAGE
With the looks of a terrifying horror monster movie and a reputation of being one, the ragged tooth shark (raggy) is a firm-favourite in aquaria across the world, due to its ability to survive well in captivity, as well as being a tourist attraction in parts of Australia (Barker et al 2011). While the raggy is supposedly dangerous, it is in fact a docile creature and this essay will explore the reasons why the raggy, and al...
Introduction One particularly interesting sea creature is the whale shark, formally known as Rhincondon typus; it was first discovered in 1828 by Andrew Smith (Rowat 2012). This large fish is found globally in warm tropical oceans and prefers to stay within 200 meters of the ocean’s surface in waters ranging from 4.2 to 28.7 degrees Celsius (Stevens 2006). This creature can be found all across the globe in warm tropical seas. Aggregations of whale sharks have been seen off the coast of Australia at times, although it is primarily a creature of solitude. Whale sharks are filter feeders that consume plankton as well as small fish and are harmless to humans.