No Shark Cull Inc welcomes the news that the Barnett Government is considering alternatives to drum lines to give ocean users peace of mind, however requests that ALL alternatives are equally considered. The request comes after todays report that 22 shark net enclosures similar to the Dunsborough Shark Enclosure could be installed within 22 WA beaches. Chair for No Shark Cull Inc, Natalie Banks states that while a barrier of some description would provide some peace of mind to ocean swimmers, the Dunsborough Shark Enclosure trial demonstrated that there were some major flaws in the design, concerning large holes and tears which in effect made the enclosure useless. I hope that the community will be consulted in terms of this potential decision, Ms Banks said. The main concern is that it doesnt make sense to support a flawed initiative when there is a proven shark-safety solution in the popular Eco Shark Barrier that was trialled successfully in all respects at Coogee Beach in the City of Cockburn. The Eco Shark Barriers design enables rays and fish to swim freely without being trapped, while also ensuring sharks are not able to enter the barrier. City of Cockburn conducted a survey at the end of summer where the broader community provided their feedback, which overwhelmingly supported the use of the barrier. It is important for the local community and councils to be involved in the selection and implementation of a locally preferred solutions Ms Banks said. No Shark Cull has held a forum with scientists and inventors of shark safe solutions and there is a lot of support for the Eco Shark Barrier for swimmers and a Shark Spotting programme that offers static support at a beach, using a system of towers, flags and alarms to alert both swimmers and surfers at beaches when a shark is seen.
Posted on: Fri, 26 Sep 2014 06:02:18 +0000