Shark Enclosures
 

Here's a couple of articles spawned from a report Dazza wrote discussing shark attack mitigation in Western Australia.

It's becoming quite a controversial issue with the greenies wanting to save the sharks and the rest of the country wanting to kill them all off.

Sky News

Perth Newspaper

ABC News

The Australian

They're making headlines on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, with an influx of 14 to 18 foot Great Whites.
Twenty years ago they said you can't mess with the seals. Consequently the rookeries along Long Island, New York, and Cape Cod have exploded. The fishermen have been pissed off for a decade, because the seals have messed up fishing, and boaters because if the seals decide your boat is a nice place to haul out, you're screwed, you can't even shoo they away.

For the big sharks, seals are Fillet Mignon, pizza, and bon-bons, all in one, so everybody knows this influx isn't temporary. They get some tourists shark watching, but most of the desperately needed tourists, want to swim.

You should look into Dazza getting a grant to study the Cape Cod problem, and of course bring his staff (you & kids) to the US next summer.;)

Shite! I wouldn't like to be in that kayak!

The guy in the kayak, tourist from New Jersey, had never been in a kayak before. The people on the beach and the guy on the board were yelling at him until he finally turned around to look. I wonder if he rinsed out the kayak before returning it? :lol:

haha...probably would have been advisable.

I'll bet it was the last time he went in a kayak on the ocean too.

How come Dazza didnt get a mention?

Mention where mate? I put his name in the OP. I think he's going to get more and more mentions as this story unfolds to be honest. He's been told that the minister wants to make it an election issue.

I thought he wrote the article I read on facebook, but couldnt see his name in the articles....these articles are the spinoff of his report/findings?

Does he think they will go with the enclosure idea? I dont think we should be killing sharks so people can swim in their environment.

I wouldnt swim in crocodile infested waters unless I was ready to be lunch.

No, he didn't write them. You're correct that these are the spin off from his report.

I don't think they've told him yet, and in all likelihood, they wont decide till after the next state election in WA which is next year I think, so nothing will happen this summer.

My opinion is the same as yours about it being their environment, but a lot of people don't see it that way. Dazza feels more or less the same, but I've just been talking to him by email about seal colonies in WA, and how they're affecting shark numbers just like in Cape Cod as Bruce mentioned.

Dazza's main point is generally that if you change one thing in the environment, there's going to be consequences, such as sharks coming closer etc. That's why people should consider very carefully before they upset the balance of nature. Even if they think what they're doing can't possibly have an effect, it usually does sooner or later.

More people die while doing recreational fishing than get taken by sharks. Statistically, sharks barely rate a mention, but they make awesome headlines with scary pictures. Politicians who want to pander to public fears have an easy target.

Oh there's lots of things that'll kill you quicker than sharks will.

Imagine the irony of a lifetime smoker staying out of the water from fear of a shark attack!


eta: it's those dumb rock fishermen that bring that rec fishing fatality number up. Stupid buggers should realise it's a risky pass time, but they don't seem to.

"I will say it again: I am against recreational whale torture,"

guess where that line came from?

I"ll give you two dollars if you guess right.

your wallet?

No! Gah! Do you people spend ALL your time reading fantasy/sci-fi?

It's from a TV show. A very funny one. Edie Falco's character said it but it wasn't on the Sopranos.

Everyone has respect for a killer joke.