The tags are attached to a small arrow-head and a short tether and are usually attached to sharks using a tag pole as they swim past a vessel. CONS: Contractor required to check drumlines and relocate the sharks, contractor needs to reach the caught shark in a timely manner, other marine life may be caught. At first, things went well, and the population of feral cats started going down. Well, heres a detailed list of all the benefits and drawbacks that come with this practice. They are fierce creatures, and a lot of people have a genuine and debilitating fear of them. [78], In a program in Recife, Brazil, sharks were captured and moved 8 kilometers away from local beaches (though, the program did result in the deaths of about 23% of animals caught on the drum lines, including 114 sharks between 2007 and 2011). Even if an animal is released, it may not survive. Disease reduction deserves mention on the pros and cons of culling animals. "[50], Animal rights activists note the suffering and cruelty inflicted upon animals caught in nets and drum lines: this suffering includes lacerations, stress, pain, disease, and death. The purpose of shark culling is to kill sharks in order to decrease the shark population in an attempt to lower the amount of shark on human attacks. When this happens, it poses great risks to animals, humans, and the entire ecosystem. Check out our guide. They are used throughout Western Australia where they are typically fixed at a depth of about 6 meters and run just under 200 meters long. Pollution Types, Shark Nets trap other small creatures as turtles (via Unsplash), The ocean plays an integral role in sustaining our environment and climate, so do sharks and every other creature that lives below the surface. [29] Organizations that oppose shark culling include the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, Humane Society International, the Australian Marine Conservation Society, Shark Conservation Australia, Sea Life Trust, the Australian Greens Party, and the current government of Western Australia. [16], Christopher Neff, a Ph.D. scholar at the University of Sydney notes, "Internationally, shark nets have been labeled a 'key threatening process' for killing endangered species." CONS: Reports can not be received in the water, possibility of hoax reports, impossible to report every shark. For example, breeders can invest in technologies that can establish if an embryo is male or female before the eggs hatch. Shark sightings and reports from the public as well as from government and emergency services are recorded, with alerts sent out to user's smart phones and via social media. [51] A non-lethal Shark Spotters program in Cape Town, South Africa has been in use since 2006. Just as we cannot scare our kids that they cannot go in the water or theyll get chopped in half, we dont have control over the oceans; thats their home. (a site that tracks attacks and fatalities by sharks across Australia), there is an average of 10 fatalities per year due to shark attacks globally, compared to the approximately 100 million sharks killed by humans annually for food, sport, and safety. The sharks' rights are enshrined in our law. Download Table | 1: Advantages and disadvantages of visibility culling methods from publication: An efficient real-time terrain data organization and visualization algorithm based on enhanced . [22][21][11][39][40][70][71][72][73], The Sea Shepherd group said, "Politicians responsible for the shark cull policy have displayed an unwillingness to explore other shark mitigation strategies". Overall, the Jaws effect and cull programs resulting from an inaccurate shark mental . (to destroy our oceans), stunned the world. Marketers of a range of the products claim on their websites to have tested their efficacy, however the results range from working "some of the time" to "only on particular sharks" or "temporarily". Though we all feel that way about losing our close friends and relatives, would it be a rational decision? People think sharks are vicious beast that mean to eat and kill humans but they have benefits that the whole world uses everyday! Sharks regulate the behaviour of prey species, and prevent them from over-grazing vital habitats. Other farmers resort to crushing the chicks, a totally unethical practice. [17][11] The current net program in New South Wales has been described as being "extremely destructive" to marine life, including sharks. [14][48], Shark nets were installed in Dunedin, New Zealand for roughly 40 years, and were removed in 2011. There are several creatures, as small as microscopic infectious viruses to as big as hippopotamuses, that had befallen death on our loved one. [80] Australia's commercial shark fishing industry catches over 1200 tonnes of shark each year,[64] 130 of which being great white sharks. About half of the shark species caught in Queensland's nets and drumlines pose very little risk to humans. The KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board (KZNSB) says, "Both types of equipment function by reducing shark numbers in the vicinity of protected beaches, thereby lowering the probability of encounters between sharks and people at those beaches." More about how we earn money as an affiliate. "[11], In September 2018, the government of Queensland began culling sharks with drum lines in Cid Harbour in the Whitsunday Islands in response to two non-fatal shark attackssix sharks (including five tiger sharks) were shot and killed, and their bodies were dumped at sea. We should always establish both the pros and cons of culling animals before imposing any culling measures on any species. Every year, thousands of seals are hunted down and killed as a way of controlling their population. Avoid surfing at dusk, or alone, or in the most dangerous spotswithmurky water. Five nets were deployed off Seven Mile Beach off Lennox Head; Sharpes, Shelly and Lighthouse beaches off Ballina; and Main Beach at Evans Head. The Australian Environment Ministry also considered a massive shark cull program in Western Australia in 2014 after seven fatal deaths were reported by shark attacks over the past three years. The 199798 outbreak of the Nipah virus in Malaysia, for example, claimed the lives of over a hundred pig farmers. More about how we earn money as an affiliate. SMART drum lines will send a realtime alert that notifies authorities that a shark (or other large marine life) has taken the bait is and is hooked on the line attached to the SMART drum line. PROS: Ability to save sharks once they are caught. [19], The government of New South Wales has a program that deliberately kills sharks using shark nets. Cant we co-exist peacefully using appropriate measures that keep us safe and sharks alive? What are the pros and cons of culling animals? If another way of controlling animal populations is not developed, very soon, many species might be wiped off the face of the earth. [39][41] Environmental groups criticized the cull; Shark Conservation Australia called the killings a "disgusting knee-jerk reaction" and said it was "a very shameful day here in Australia". [10], Culling compared to bycatch from commercial fishing. As of May, 2021, the effectiveness of SMART drumlines were in question, adding more fuel to the controversial topic of shark culling. There is also the financial cost of installation and personnel to monitor the nets for bycatch. East Coast vs West Coast Surfing: Which Is Better? These include electrical, magnetic, acoustic and spray repellents. Although hard to deal with initially, they were eventually brought under control when over 60,000 emus were culled in 6 months. Some of the methods used to kill sharks include: On the surface, a shark net sounds like a pretty humane way to trap and release a shark, but shark nets are designed to kill. On average, 15 great white sharks are caught by the NSW and Queensland shark control programme each year, compared to 186 caught in Australia from other activities. Their practices show no respect for these beautiful animals at all. Culling offers many potential benefits, as highlighted below. Like natural predation, culling also helps to keep the food web healthy. The impassioned statement for the mass shark cull on Reunion Island coming from such an environmental enthusiast, well-known for clothing brand. As a result, the population of cats increased significantly. PROS: Statistics support their efficacy, with one fatality at a netted beach between Newcastle and Wollongong in the past 70 years and an overall drop in shark interactions with humans since nets were installed around Sydney and Queensland. Acoustic pulses from tags are detected by underwater receivers also known as listening stations but sharks need to swim close (typically within 500 metres) to a listening station for its acoustic tag to be detected. In New Zealand, for example, after WWI, the emus had multiplied so fast that they were a danger to farmers. 426 Words; 2 Pages; Decent Essays. [62], Environmentalists, conservationists, scientists, animal rights activists and shark experts oppose shark culling. The goal of everyone is to improve shark bite prevention and risk reduction while finding solutions that reflect the values of the public. This means they have to be culled. Fishing World is Australias premier and longest established fishing magazine and has become known as the sport fishing bible. They set up traps to catch and kill the cats. What do the Public Think About Culling Sharks? Perspective All Sharks hold a economic and cultural significance to many communities. A survey of more than 1,800 people found significant similarities in how different groups of . Surfer Mick Fanning changed the colour of his board from yellow to dark blue after hearing sharks were attracted to lightly coloured, shiny things. [37] However, a 2014 poll indicated that 80% of Australians did not approve of shark culling in Australia. [12] During the same 30-year period, 2,211 turtles, 8,448 rays, and 2,310 dolphins were killed. [55] In August 2018, the Western Australia government announced a plan to re-introduce drum lines (though, this time the drum lines are "SMART" drumlines). The average person believes that if there is a shark in the water nearby, its almost certainly going to attack them and kill them. Any contact with animals should always be humane. Most shark nets are deployed in Western Australia, where shark populations are vast and shark attacks are relatively common when compared to other areas. [57] In January 2019 the Environmental Protection Authority of Western Australia determined that the "SMART" drumline trial would have minimal impact on the environment.[58]. Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. The New South Wales Government believes shark nets are worth trialling and plans to install shark nets in a trial off the north coast before the end of the year. As a keystone species, sharks are important for maintaining the delicate balance in the aquatic ecosystem. Already, many of the worlds largest animals such as elephants, sharks, whales, rhino, and bears are at risk of extinction. [81] Sharksavers estimates that in total 50 million sharks are caught unintentionally each year as bycatch by the commercial fishing industry. They confuse humans for defenseless animals (which, arguably, we are in the eyes of a shark), and most of the time, they dont really care what were doing. However, based on the data above, one cant conclude that shark culling is effective. Professor Colin Buxton of the University of Tasmania told the ABC: "the use of shark nets and drum lines is a proven way of reducing shark attack, however the public need to understand and acknowledge that this works by killing sharks". Wildlife biologists in Tasmania wanted to reduce the population of feral cats. The predatory role of sharks is also significant for the worlds economy. In South America, for example, vampire bats are responsible for the transmission of the deadly rabies virus. 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