How many fatal shark attacks to stop you diving

[ferris213]

.

What is happening to the sharks that are killed?

How are they being disposed of?

Who is getting financial kickbacks off of this?

Sharks that are killed are taken 1km off shore and dumped. Except for the animal that was caught a couple of days ago. That one was immediately covered with a tarpaulin, then taken 5km out (beyond the range of the protesters RIB so no photos could be taken) It's ok though , fisheries dept assured the media that it definitely wasn't the juvenile dolphin seen in the area.

They caught a 2.7m Tiger shark last week that was claimed to have been released alive. There are photos if it sliding into the water then sinking, belly up, to the bottom without moving.

The "fisherman" employed to conduct the cull are being paid $AU610,000 for 107 days work.... Not bad money if you're prepared to shoot sharks in the face for a living.

The cull, like this poll, is bull**** from top to bottom. It is done purely for political face saving.

 

[drrich2]

So far on this thread the only ones saying anything about culling are the people on your side of the debate. It has nothing to do with the OP or the poll. It is 'off topic'. You have been one of the most vocal on the topic.

Um, you yourself started another thread recently, and your posts there make it quite clear you're in favor of shark culling in Australia to deal with the increased but still very low number of fatal shark attacks in an area there. Used the buzz word 'man-eating shark' a lot, for example.

Then, having run into almost nothing but opposition on that thread, you start this one. There's a lot more to what you've been saying on the subject lately than what's on this thread, and it stands to reason you were likely hoping to get results from this poll/thread to further your philosophical agenda. Knowing that, people post opposing that perceived effort and agenda.

You are not going to divorce this thread from its greater context on the forum.

Richard.

 

[CT-Rich]

I'd call culling of sharks in general a damn sight more misguided. Again if someone is that scared and not willing to risk getting eaten, stay out of the water. Take up tennis.

But stay out of our business and stop killing animals for being animals.

Your definition of acceptable risk is nothing but total horsecrap as far as I, and it seems many others, are concerned.

I wonder what you are getting out of this? What is happening to the sharks that are killed?

How are they being disposed of?

Who is getting financial kickbacks off of this?

Does your job depend on doing this? IF it does - quit!
What is the problem? Something becomes an inconvenience or annoyance - kill it. I am so utterly disgusted at the level of stupidity and alarmist behavior displayed by this whole course of action.

I smell a politician or political appointee. No one else twists facts, makes up rules for others, and just can't see simple logical solutions. It always has to be about "looking out for our best interests" without giving a rats hind end about what we think our best interests are. All the while someone, somewhere is getting a fatter wallet for being a pain in the butt and making kneejerk decisions and pulling solutions out of their butt.

In this country we have enough of them to fill a big deep dark hole. Problem is we can't toss em in there and cover it with concrete.

Jim,
I think the only thing to smell here is Troll Chum....

He keeps ladling it into the water and attracting bites...

He doesn't understand the American psyche involving guns and sharks... After all, why go to the mall with your gun, other than to protect yourself from random shark attacks...
[video=youtube;NhmW3kbba28]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhmW3kbba28[/video]

 

[Foxfish]

Um, you yourself started another thread recently, and your posts there make it quite clear you're in favor of shark culling in Australia to deal with the increased but still very low number of fatal shark attacks in an area there. Used the buzz word 'man-eating shark' a lot, for example.

Then, having run into almost nothing but opposition on that thread, you start this one. There's a lot more to what you've been saying on the subject lately than what's on this thread, and it stands to reason you were likely hoping to get results from this poll/thread to further your philosophical agenda. Knowing that, people post opposing that perceived effort and agenda.

You are not going to divorce this thread from its greater context on the forum.

Richard.

I don't have to. So far you have not provided a shred of evidence that this thread is anything more than an attempt to gauge how divers assess an acceptable risk of a fatal shark attack or that I've promoted anything on this thread to suggest otherwise.

Some of us have had extensive discussions on shark attacks on another thread with a very different intention and focus. We've disagreed on a number of issues. Time to move on. This is a different thread with a different perspective.

 

[Hank49]

Sea lions are a natural prey of white sharks, which specifically hunt them routinely. They would indeed prefer the sharks be dead. Just as smaller fish would prefer the sea lions weren't around.

We are not the natural prey of white sharks. If they selectively preyed on us routinely, that would be a different issue.

Richard.

Evolution badehh. The more people that swim in the sea and expose themselves, the more great whites may accept them as prey. Fish learn.

And we are hunters in the sea. We learned how to launch projectiles and kill fish. Why do we consider ourselves so far above the animal food chain what we're not allowed to prey upon competitors? Not wipe them out. But not the "oh we can't kill any of THOSE. We're in their world". bull****.

I get chased from a very fishy spot by bullsharks. They've stolen my fish, approached in a semi aggressive manner and make it so I can't stay and spearfish. Because they have gills, I'm in their territory? We're mammals....many of us, aquatic mammals. They're eating my fish.

I'm all for conservation. I believe in limits, MPAs, seasons etc. But I harbor no love for big sharks.

 

[drrich2]

Foxfire:

So far you have not provided a shred of evidence that this thread is anything more than an attempt to gauge how divers assess an acceptable risk of a fatal shark attack or that I've promoted anything on this thread to suggest otherwise.

Not only in my view, but judging from others posts on this thread, it is believe that you yourself have provided evidence to that effect in your postings on the forum.

Time to move on.

It seems a number of us don't believe you have.

This is a different thread with a different perspective.

I'm not convinced your perspective has changed that much.

Hank49:

The more people that swim in the sea and expose themselves, the more great whites may accept them as prey. Fish learn.

Given the intelligence of sharks, I've wondered about this possibility myself. With lions, tigers and leopards it has happened in rare but dangerous individuals. But a large enough number of sharks has had ample opportunity to learn from the enormous numbers of humans in the seas such that I am relieved we don't seem to have great white 'serial killers,' so to speak.

The closest I've heard of such an issue in recent memory was an oceanic white tip which, if the same shark, attacked some few people? So there is some potential, but it seems surprisingly rare.

I get chased from a very fishy spot by bullsharks. They've stolen my fish, approached in a semi aggressive manner and make it so I can't stay and spearfish. Because they have gills, I'm in their territory? We're mammals....many of us, aquatic mammals. They're eating my fish.

Couple of issues with this. And in advance, I, too, see humans as part of nature, not alien invaders from another planet.

1.) The ecosystem is assumed to have been crafted over time with a multi-factorial balance that does not include human predation.

2.) Our experience of the environmental effects of human predation (e.g.: wiping out large land carnivore populations, over-fishing the seas, rain forest decimation) is far, far different from the effects of other predator species (which are seen as aiding the ecosystem rather than wrecking it).

3.) Human numbers are so vast that our impact can overwhelm a local ecosystem rather easily, as evidenced by the species we drive into or near extinction.

So I have no problem with you nailing a few common fish from healthy populations to eat. As for the bull sharks, what do you propose to do if not give ground? Spear those that come after your fish? Support a cull to drop their populations so you're not bothered?

If bull shark populations were known to be healthy and abundant, I'd have no major problem with somebody eating one. But I don't think that's the case.

Richard.

 

[Tigerman]

I think its time to post a picture of one of the oceans creatures that is truely of the most dangerous there is to human life...

 

[Allison Finch]

I think the responses and poll demonstrate the difficulties that many divers have in properly assessing the risk of shark attack. Ironically, many divers on this board will jump at the first hint of anyone suggesting that it is okay to enter a cavern or cave without the necessary training. And yet when it comes to shark attack, a suicidal level of risk is accepted and promoted by the board.

It is interesting to think about the reasons why that is the case.

Bull.

I have been diving all over the world for over 40 years and have only been looked at by a shark twice. Both times I was spearfishing and the shark only looked and then moved on. Have divers been attacked? yes. But, on the grand scheme of things it is so rare as to be a non issue to me. I often carry a water bottle in to roll between my hands to make a "shark caller". Sharks will come, look, and move on. I feel incredibly lucky to see sharks and have never felt any other way.

If YOU are worried, take up tennis. People who feel the need to post polls like this may just be trying to justify their desire to kill sharks, IMO.

 

[Hank49]

As for the bull sharks, what do you propose to do if not give ground? Spear those that come after your fish? Support a cull to drop their populations so you're not bothered?

If bull shark populations were known to be healthy and abundant, I'd have no major problem with somebody eating one. But I don't think that's the case.

Richard.

I don't support a cull where I spearfish. I'm 16 miles offshore on a barrier reef. But in areas where there are lots of swimmers....kids...and some large white sharks are beginning to frequent the area, I have no problem with someone catching them. It would be good if they could safely move them out, but that's not possible it seems. And I don't believe that a few instances of removing some large sharks near popular beaches will affect the wild populations.
Longlining, gill netting, dynamite fishing, open water FADs....high tech fishing.....that's what's hurting the marine life and shark populations.

 

[Allison Finch]

Evolution badehh. The more people that swim in the sea and expose themselves, the more great whites may accept them as prey. Fish learn.

And we are hunters in the sea. We learned how to launch projectiles and kill fish. Why do we consider ourselves so far above the animal food chain what we're not allowed to prey upon competitors? Not wipe them out. But not the "oh we can't kill any of THOSE. We're in their world". bull****.

Well, aren't YOU just the most macho bada$$ in the ocean? You kill, needlessly to make yourself feel in control. It's not like they are the best eating fish to spear. Their reproductive rate is so low that there is simply no justification for killing for recreation. To me, it does not make you a macho bada$$, it just makes you a sad excuse.....

I get chased from a very fishy spot by bullsharks. They've stolen my fish, approached in a semi aggressive manner and make it so I can't stay and spearfish. Because they have gills, I'm in their territory? We're mammals....many of us, aquatic mammals. They're eating my fish.

I'm all for conservation. I believe in limits, MPAs, seasons etc. But I harbor no love for big sharks.

They are not YOUR fish. BOOHOO that they are "semi aggressive".