Why Are they Shooting Sharks in Australia ?

[Wand]

Originally Posted by Blue Crab

..But kill all the big predators left so bathers can feel safe at the beach? Not on my watch. Hell, I'm the last blue crab.

Bet you'd love to see a cull of snapper though eh - they simply love blue crab; suck the shells dry...

[Wand]

Originally Posted by anjou

You better believe it. Back in the 18th Century, we dealt with our wild and dangerous beasts not by killing them as you suggest, but by humanely 'exporting' them to Australia.

Maybe it was a mistake in your case, the first option makes more sense.

Not to South Australia - no convicts here; all free settlers from Selesia, Scandanavia, Scotland and, yes, Pomgolia (), all escaping the hubris and/or oppression back home in search of utopia beyond.

Some even stayed; the clever ones kept going...

[Coops]

To NSW?

Coops.

[Wand]

One lucky lad..


TEENAGE adventurer Elise Lavers has been hailed as a hero and her friend Michael Demasi one of the luckiest men alive.

The pair survived a kayaking clash with a 6m great white shark off the Yorke Peninsula in South Australia.

The drama in Dolphin Bay, in Innes National Park, unfolded late on Wednesday when the friends went kayaking, unaware the calm bay was a known haunt for large sharks.

Mr Demasi, 27, has a small wound on his thigh where the shark pierced his plastic kayak when it bit into it in 40m-deep water.

The Flinders University student thought he had been washed on to rocks by a wave and bailed out of his kayak, only to turn around and see the huge shark treating his boat like a chew toy.

"The shark bit into my thigh and was violently jerking the kayak," he said.

"I didn't know it was a shark so I was relaxed enough to grab my sunnies as I bailed out.

"It had brought its head out of the water to grab the kayak.""It wasn't until I came up from the water when I saw a big thing gnawing the kayak.

Miss Lavers, 19, having seen the shark, raced to his rescue in her kayak. "Elise saw the whole thing ... she didn't know if I'd been hurt," Mr Demasi said. "She paddled over and I grabbed the back of her kayak.

"I wouldn't have been able to swim fast enough."

Ms Lavers paddled them both to the cliffs, where they took refuge until help came. A passing boat plucked them from the cliff and later retrieved the damaged kayak.

The shark left a 40cm-wide bite mark in the kayak and the skipper of a nearby fishing boat estimated the shark at up to 6m because it was bigger than his boat as it circled it.

Woman saves mate from shark attack | Adelaide Now

[Cherp]

This has been a fascinating thread. It indicates how things (right or worong) can take off on social media. Nobody is killing Great White sharks in Australia. Some Great White sharks (and others) are killing humans, but that's a risk you run when you get in the water. The Great White is at the top of the food chain in the sea and is a bit like the lion on land. It has been illegal to kill them in Australia for years. Occasionally when somebody is killed by one, somebody will say in the media "They ought to hunt it down and kill it" or something like that. Never happens. Never will.

[Ozbullwinkle]

Originally Posted by Cherp

This has been a fascinating thread. It indicates how things (right or wrong) can take off on social media. Nobody is killing Great White sharks in Australia. Some Great White sharks (and others) are killing humans, but that's a risk you run when you get in the water. The Great White is at the top of the food chain in the sea and is a bit like the lion on land. It has been illegal to kill them in Australia for years. Occasionally when somebody is killed by one, somebody will say in the media "They ought to hunt it down and kill it" or something like that. Never happens. Never will.

Well said Cherp, your comments sum the situation up in Australia very nicely

And to all of the other do gooder, political correct type comments on this thread - like "white sharks just give their prey a bit of a light nibble much like how a human baby mouths its food" what a load of absolute bulls**t.

Have you got personal first hand experience with sharks feeding in the ocean and have you seen them at close quarters? I have extensive experience with this through my many years of sportfishing and I have witnessed such events many hundreds of times. While white sharks may bump into something prior to biting it I can assure you that when they bite they do so with great force and take a very big mouthfull. You only need to take a look at the design of their teeth which are triangular with serrations on both sides for cutting and tearing massive chucks from their prey. Their teeth are not designed for holding their prey to "take a little taste". This is why anyone that is unfortunate enough to be attacked by a great white usually sustains massive injuries which are often fatal. Those who do survive are usually fortunate or very damn lucky in that the bite was misdirected and they often escape with less serious injuries.

I also seriously question the scientists claims that humans are not considered by sharks to be a food source and attacks on humans are where a shark mistakes us for another food source. In general this is GARBAGE unless maybe you are stupid enough to be swimming in the middle of a seal colony! There is no doubt that sharks encounter many more fish & marine mammals in the oceans as a food source as opposed to people but in my opinion and based on my observations of the incredibly wide range of items that a shark will eat it is my firm belief that ANYTHING a shark comes across in the ocean is considered to be food. For a scientist to publicly state that sharks do consider humans as a potential source of food this would just raise the level of fear and hysteria among us humans who venture into the ocean and probably be a good way to put an end to their goverment funded research grants.

It is still very unlikely for a human to be attacked by a shark but the fact remains that attacks do regularly take place - you just need to encounter a shark that is in a feeding mood to be at risk of being on the menu. If a shark bites something that is soft, meaty and bloody let me tell you they treat this as food - they don't suddenly think hey this is a person I better spit them out.

Just like people, not all sharks are the same and they are not in feeding mode all the time. I have had 6 metre white sharks swimming around my boat 25 miles out to sea who would not eat a thing, it was totally uninterested.
On the other hand I have seen other occasions where a white shark of the same size would appear from nowhere with total aggression and start chewing the marlin board on the back of the boat and with an insatiable appetite. You would not have wanted to have been in the water when this guy arrived on the scene. And before all of the greenies jump on me, NO, I wasn't trying to catch or hook these sharks which are protected I was just trying to give it a few fish for some good video footage which was subsequently shown on the TV news stations around Australia & on the Real Life program in the USA.

When one goes into the ocean we enter a domain that has rsks for us which although you are at far greater probabilty to be injured while crossing the road those risks remain and most of us, including me, are happy to run this risk with the feeling of "it won't happen to me" & on most occasions it doesn't except for the very unfortunate few.

[downunder]

Originally Posted by Ozbullwinkle

Well said Cherp, your comments sum the situation up in Australia very nicely

And to all of the other do gooder, political correct type comments on this thread - like "white sharks just give their prey a bit of a light nibble much like how a human baby mouths its food" what a load of absolute bulls**t.

Have you got personal first hand experience with sharks feeding in the ocean and have you seen them at close quarters? I have extensive experience with this through my many years of sportfishing and I have witnessed such events many hundreds of times. While white sharks may bump into something prior to biting it I can assure you that when they bite they do so with great force and take a very big mouthfull. You only need to take a look at the design of their teeth which are triangular with serrations on both sides for cutting and tearing massive chucks from their prey. Their teeth are not designed for holding their prey to "take a little taste". This is why anyone that is unfortunate enough to be attacked by a great white usually sustains massive injuries which are often fatal. Those who do survive are usually fortunate or very damn lucky in that the bite was misdirected and they often escape with less serious injuries.

I also seriously question the scientists claims that humans are not considered by sharks to be a food source and attacks on humans are where a shark mistakes us for another food source.

In general this is GARBAGE unless maybe you are stupid enough to be swimming in the middle of a seal colony! There is no doubt that sharks encounter many more fish & marine mammals in the oceans as a food source as opposed to people but in my opinion and based on my observations of the incredibly wide range of items that a shark will eat it is my firm belief that ANYTHING a shark comes across in the ocean is considered to be food. For a scientist to publicly state that sharks do consider humans as a potential source of food this would just raise the level of fear and hysteria among us humans who venture into the ocean and probably be a good way to put an end to their goverment funded research grants.

It is still very unlikely for a human to be attacked by a shark but the fact remains that attacks do regularly take place - you just need to encounter a shark that is in a feeding mood to be at risk of being on the menu. If a shark bites something that is soft, meaty and bloody let me tell you they treat this as food - they don't suddenly think hey this is a person I better spit them out.

Just like people, not all sharks are the same and they are not in feeding mode all the time. I have had 6 metre white sharks swimming around my boat 25 miles out to sea who would not eat a thing, it was totally uninterested.
On the other hand I have seen other occasions where a white shark of the same size would appear from nowhere with total aggression and start chewing the marlin board on the back of the boat and with an insatiable appetite. You would not have wanted to have been in the water when this guy arrived on the scene. And before all of the greenies jump on me, NO, I wasn't trying to catch or hook these sharks which are protected I was just trying to give it a few fish for some good video footage which was subsequently shown on the TV news stations around Australia & on the Real Life program in the USA.

When one goes into the ocean we enter a domain that has rsks for us which although you are at far greater probabilty to be injured while crossing the road those risks remain and most of us, including me, are happy to run this risk with the feeling of "it won't happen to me" & on most occasions it doesn't except for the very unfortunate few.

Qz,

My experience comes from extensive spearfishing all around Australia and time spent with many of Australia's most experienced spearfishermen. In the past I have spent time in the Coral sea with Ron & Valerie Taylor and others handfeeding sharks.

Regarding your comment

"I also seriously question the scientists claims that humans are not considered by sharks to be a food source and attacks on humans are where a shark mistakes us for another food source. "

From my experience I do not believe sharks other than GW's consider humans as a food source. This includes, Tigers, Hammerheads, various Whalers and reef sharks.

The Great White is another beast entirely and on that you have got it right. Personally thesedays I prefer to dive in aread that don't have GW's where water is warner and I don't need a wetsuit.

Cheers

[Ozbullwinkle]

Hi Downunder, Yes, in my reply I was focussing entirely on Great White's to keep it as brief as possible. But I still believe that if a shark of other species (mainly Whalers (Bull sharks) & Tigers) is aggressive & hungry enough then you are on the menu.

For example the navy clearance diver that was aggressively attacked by the large whaler in Sydney Harbour about 2 years ago who lost his hand & lower leg. It definitely wanted him and he did not stumble onto it or anything as it followed him up and attacked him on the surface. Yet many hundreds swim in Sydney Harbour every year without incident - you just have to be in the wrong place at the wrong time & meet the wrong shark much like walking the streets on land.

Steve

[fwalschots]

Interesting and informative thread...

As swimmers & Divers etc we just have to accept the risks of our activity/recreation. Life is not without risks.

I would much rather be in the water with a shark. 99% of the time they are not interested in humans at all.

Salt water crocs on the otherhand pose more of a threat.

[downunder]

Originally Posted by Ozbullwinkle

Hi Downunder, Yes, in my reply I was focussing entirely on Great White's to keep it as brief as possible. But I still believe that if a shark of other species (mainly Whalers (Bull sharks) & Tigers) is aggressive & hungry enough then you are on the menu.

For example the navy clearance diver that was aggressively attacked by the large whaler in Sydney Harbour about 2 years ago who lost his hand & lower leg. It definitely wanted him and he did not stumble onto it or anything as it followed him up and attacked him on the surface. Yet many hundreds swim in Sydney Harbour every year without incident - you just have to be in the wrong place at the wrong time & meet the wrong shark much like walking the streets on land.

Steve

Steve,

Dirty water and bull sharks are certainly an issue. All sharks in dirty water are more of an issue than in good visability particulary when spearfishing.

Cheers

[Ozbullwinkle]

Originally Posted by Katiusha

Afaik it is mostly Tiger sharks that purposefully attack humans to kill. Great Whites only lightly bite and let go to figure out what is it that is swimming in front of them (their vision is not that good).

Firstly, I wish the OP could change the title of this post because it is not correct and gives a bad picture of us all down here in the Land of Oz.

Anyway, here is a link to a news article from today regarding a fatal Great White attack (Yes, it will have been a Great White) on a body boarder in South Africa which is their second fatal attack this year. As you will read it took of his right leg just below the hip with no other bite marks on the swimmers body at all = one clean, high impact bite with great force.

Giant shark kills bodyboarder at notorious surf spot

Just adds further weight to my earlier comments about the feeding habits of Great Whites, which I have first hand experience with, and so much for the quote above that "Great Whites only lightly bite and let go to figure out what is it that is swimming in front of them " - yeah right.

[capn_billl]

Originally Posted by impi

You make a very good point and I can see you speak from a position of experience and have a lot more expertise than do I in this area. I just find that in South Africa divers regularly encounter sharks whilst diving and that attacks are becoming more regular... Not on divers necessarily, but also swimmers ... I have encountered them whilst surfing and my mate was attacked by one on his surfboard ... Luckily got away and is able to 'tell the tale' today, but personally I feel the authorities in SA have caused this problem with allowing 'cage diving' ... There is a direct correlation between the increased number of cage dives and shark attacks. They no longer live in a 'natural environment' because we have altered that environment for them to the point that it is (relatively speaking) no longer safe to swim in South African waters.... I take these sharks very seriously every time I dive there.
I must admit that I absolutely LOVE diving in most of the Caribbean Islands where one does not consider this to be an issue ...
I would much rather live in a world without these creatures than with them.... Sadly so as I blame human influence (cage diving and the tourists that support it) for this problem!

I agree completly. Feeding any wild animal upsets it's natural instincts.

[capn_billl]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Katiusha
Afaik it is mostly Tiger sharks that purposefully attack humans to kill. Great Whites only lightly bite and let go to figure out what is it that is swimming in front of them (their vision is not that good).



Yeah just a playfull little nibble, with a mouth a foot wide and hundreds of 3-5 inch razor sharp teeth, just a love bite really.

Except that humans usually don't live through it, and if you don't escape them they swallow anything that moves.

They're primary food, seals: 4 limbs, check; large fatty white under belly, check; Air breathing mammals, check; swims at the surface, check; Tastes like chicken, you betcha.

[AllezCat]

it is illegal to feed Dolphins in FL. They can become aggressive beggars.
Birds are similar.
Why not sharks?

Perhaps there aren't more attacks - just more honest reporting of the attacks...
Vic Hislop reckons that many shark attack victims were falsely reported so as to not deter tourism...

"They're primary food, seals: 4 limbs, check; large fatty white under belly, check; Air breathing mammals, check; swims at the surface, check; Tastes like chicken, you betcha." nice one!

[2una]

Not as if its something new - Sinking of the HMS Birkenhead 1852 (South Africa)

I remained on the wreck until she went down; the suction took me down some way, and a man got hold of my leg, but I managed to kick him off and came up and struck out for some pieces of wood that were on the water and started for land, about two miles (3 km) off. I was in the water about five hours, as the shore was so rocky and the surf ran so high that a great many were lost trying to land. Nearly all those that took to the water without their clothes on were taken by sharks; hundreds of them were all round us, and I saw men taken by them close to me, but as I was dressed (having on a flannel shirt and trousers) they preferred the others. I was not in the least hurt, and am happy to say, kept my head clear; most of the officers lost their lives from losing their presence of mind and trying to take money with them, and from not throwing off their coats.
- Letter from Lieutenant J.F. Girardot, 43rd Light Infantry, to his father, 1 March 1852.[15]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Birkenhead_(1845)