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Great white shark cull debate


simmo

Cull the Great White?  

21 members have voted

  1. 1. Should the Great White Shark be Culled?

    • Yes
      3
    • No
      14
    • Not Sure
      4


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Experts who have studied Laeticia’s surfboard say the damage shows all the sign of a great white shark attack, and fishermen are claiming the legally protected species are now “breeding like flies” off the coastline.

CALLS for a mass killing of great white sharks has put Australian politicians at loggerheads in the wake of the tragic death of a teenage surfer.

http://www.express.co.uk/news/nature/793871/Great-White-Shark-teenage-surfer-death

People will happily kill snakes even if the snakes are just doing their thing in their own environment (same with roos) but squirm at the thought of killing sharks,

 

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3 hours ago, simmo said:

CALLS for a mass killing of great white sharks has put Australian politicians at loggerheads in the wake of the tragic death of a teenage surfer.

http://www.express.co.uk/news/nature/793871/Great-White-Shark-teenage-surfer-death

People will happily kill snakes even if the snakes are just doing their thing in their own environment (same with roos) but squirm at the thought of killing sharks,

 

Actually, a lot of people kill snakes.

I think we should have a cull on cars. Too many cars have been taking innocent lives. Although, with cars, we have improved technology and the deaths have reduced dramatically.

Possibly we could do the same with sharks?

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Thousands of sharks are killed every year in Oz and it doesn't prevent shark attacks.  Just suck it up and accept that people will die from sharks.  It's Australia, everything kills you! 

There has been an increase in attacks, fair enough, but probably due to an increase in human population and interest in surfing/SUPing/kitesurfing as much as anything else

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9 hours ago, newjez said:

Actually, a lot of people kill snakes.

I think we should have a cull on cars. Too many cars have been taking innocent lives. Although, with cars, we have improved technology and the deaths have reduced dramatically.

Possibly we could do the same with sharks?

Stop sharks from driving cars?

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I'm in two minds really. We do cull other animals like Kangaroos and Koalas from time to time.

If there are that many sharks around that they are an ever present danger then yes why not cull some of their number to reduce the risk.

 

But on the other hand Qld has other measures in place like shark nets and has had less attacks than WA that doesn't have nets.

 

I wouldn't rule out a cull because to me human life is more important than a fish's life but I'm not convinced either way atm.

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52 minutes ago, Parley said:

I'm in two minds really. We do cull other animals like Kangaroos and Koalas from time to time.

If there are that many sharks around that they are an ever present danger then yes why not cull some of their number to reduce the risk.

 

But on the other hand Qld has other measures in place like shark nets and has had less attacks than WA that doesn't have nets.

 

I wouldn't rule out a cull because to me human life is more important than a fish's life but I'm not convinced either way atm.

The only way to be sure is to wipe out the species.  One human life is surely worth more than a species which has achieved such evolutionary perfection that it has not needed futher adaptations  in the past 100 million years.

Doh!

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Guest The Pom Queen
9 hours ago, simmo said:

Exactly my point. Why OK to kill snakes but not sharks

It is illegal to kill snakes. Personally even though they have taken 2 of my fur baby's and a few chickens I wouldn't kill them but relocate instead. You can't really do that with sharks but killing them isn't the answer. 

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Guest The Pom Queen

What really annoys me is the idiots who decide to go swimming in croc infested waters, get attacked and then everyone wants the croc killed. It's like saying jump in the middle of the road in front of a car doing 100k and then kill the driver because he shouldn't have been on the road. It's insane.

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9 hours ago, Gbye grey sky said:

The only way to be sure is to wipe out the species.  One human life is surely worth more than a species which has achieved such evolutionary perfection that it has not needed futher adaptations  in the past 100 million years.

Doh!

No need to be silly about it.

What about the hundreds of thousands of dogs and cats that get put down every year mot to mention chickens, sheep, cows and pigs.

What is so special about a shark that it must never be culled ?

 

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It's the ecological impact with sharks.  By removing a top-level (apex) predator you have untold impacts on the underlying ecosystem.  Removing lower-level animals doesn't usually have the same impact.

http://www.livescience.com/4171-top-predators-key-ecosystem-survival-study-shows.html

Also on the Qld nets.  Their method of working is by killing sharks (and other wildlife).  They are not barriers to the beaches because they are only about 180m long and 3m deep; sharks can swim round them.  I think from memory something like 11,000 animals have been killed by them (sharks, dolphins, whales, turtles, fish, etc.) so they are pretty much equivalent to a culling program but more indiscriminate.

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-39639387

I agree with rob fromdublin.....taking out the apex predator leads to proliferation of the next level predator...no they might not be man eaters but if left unchecked they can decimate other fish /species . Ecological nightmare. Aren't we doing enough damage to our seas with over fishing ?

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To be honest there hasn't been any 'calls for mass killing great whites' in WA bit of fake news from the Express no suprise there then.

The sad death of that young lady has got people discussing how best to deal with the shark threat but definately no huge demonstrations or shark lynch mobs roaming the street from what I have seen.

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12 hours ago, newjez said:

I'm scared of bears. I won't go anywhere near where bears live. Do I want them culled? No. 

Sharks? I'll take my chances. And the chances are pretty good.

If you lived in US or Canada near where the bears live you will find the rangers will very quickly kill a bear that attacks humans or is an ongoing threat to humans.

And I'm sure you would happily kill any animal that was threatening you or one of your children.

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48 minutes ago, Parley said:

If you lived in US or Canada near where the bears live you will find the rangers will very quickly kill a bear that attacks humans or is an ongoing threat to humans.

And I'm sure you would happily kill any animal that was threatening you or one of your children.

I see self defense as very different to culling.

If a homeless drug addict breaks into my house, I wouldn't fancy their chances. But I don't roam the streets culling homeless drug addicts, just on the off chance they may break into my home.

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On ‎20‎/‎04‎/‎2017 at 1:20 AM, simmo said:

CALLS for a mass killing of great white sharks has put Australian politicians at loggerheads in the wake of the tragic death of a teenage surfer.

http://www.express.co.uk/news/nature/793871/Great-White-Shark-teenage-surfer-death

People will happily kill snakes even if the snakes are just doing their thing in their own environment (same with roos) but squirm at the thought of killing sharks,

 

There was a shark not ten metres of a popular Perth beach a few days ago. Shark sightings are far more frequent in recent years. The killing rate of humans by sharks in WA alone numbers some 17 since 2000 from memory.

I for one do not see why the Great White remains a protected species. I have been to Cottesloe Beach during 'Save the Shark Protests' where thousands turned out in horror at the prospect. Yet I've yet to see more than a few hundred turn up in protest  at assaults by government regressing the human condition by cuts to services and conditions.

Our most famous icon, the kangaroo is culled without mercy, for doing what comes naturally to it. Never heard a roo take a human life due to attack.

Our fishermen say they have never seen so many sharks in our waters. Of course the shark has a very valid position within our eco system. Just they shouldn't be valued any more so nor in a position where their numbers overwhelm.

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55 minutes ago, newjez said:

I see self defense as very different to culling.

If a homeless drug addict breaks into my house, I wouldn't fancy their chances. But I don't roam the streets culling homeless drug addicts, just on the off chance they may break into my home.

Perhaps a little emotional raw on the subject of culling, if comparing culling humans with sharks??

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