7:03am UK, Sunday January 10, 2010
Huw Borland, Sky News Online
Sharks that attack swimmers will be hunted down, shot in the head and sawed apart until their spines are severed, according to reports.
Perth's Sunday Times revealed the gruesome methods for dealing with man-eaters approved by the Government of Western Australia.
A shark that attacked a swimmer would be slaughtered if it continued to pose a threat to beachgoers, WA Department of Fisheries's Tina Thorne was quoted by the paper as saying.
But the kill order would only be given in "extreme circumstances", as a last resort where there was an immediate danger to the public.
Ms Thorne said fisheries officers would first use a baited drumline and put "attractant" in the water to try to hook the shark.
The creature would then be hauled aboard a boat where officers would "have to use a large firearm to dispatch the animal".
"That is not an easy task, as sharks have very small brains," she said.
Once shot through the head, officers would ensure the creature was dead by "severing the spinal cord and bleeding it out".
"Even if you hook it, you can't just fly over in a chopper and shoot it because of refraction (of the bullets) in the water," Ms Thorne said.
But great whites - the species responsible for most fatal attacks - are protected and a special exemption from the law is required to kill one.
Six people have been killed by sharks in Western Australia in the past 20 years, the paper added.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Sharks-Man-Eaters-To-Be-Shot-And-Sawed-Apart-Until-Spines-Are-Severed-Australian-Reports-Claim/Article/201001215518144?f=rss
Showing posts with label sharks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sharks. Show all posts
Sunday, 10 January 2010
Tuesday, 5 January 2010
Sharks need friends
By danielclark, YourNews contributor
Posted January 4, 2010
SEBASTIAN — Sharks - demons of the sea - or a diverse group of animals that deserves an image makeover?
Marine biologist Hannah Mead will change your perception of them in "Even Sharks Need Friends," a presentation of the Turtle Coast Sierra Club at the Library in Sebastian on Jan. 19, at 7 p.m.
Mead will show you what makes a shark a shark, and how those traits make them susceptible to overfishing. Emerging evidence suggests that the use of unsustainable fishing practices, like long lining and a profitable market for shark fins, are causing the depletion of local and global shark populations.
Mead earned dual degrees in Marine Biology and Ecology from Florida Tech. She recently returned from living in South Africa, where she earned a Master's degree in Zoology from the Marine Biology Research Institute at the University of Cape Town. All of her free time was spent at sea with white sharks, either tagging/observing them for governmental and PhD projects, or as an onboard scientist for a commercial cage diving company, promoting education and conservation among the clients.
Her free time was also spent catching shy sharks for research or cruising with the cow sharks off the Cape peninsula and the whale sharks of Mozambique. Being immersed in such a "sharky" community solidified her commitment to research, and their conservation.
Admission to this program is free and open to the public. A social hour with refreshments begins at 6:30 p.m. The North Indian River County Library is located three miles west of U.S. 1 on Sebastian Boulevard. Call (772) 589-1355 for more information.
http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2010/jan/04/sharks-need-friends-1281/
Posted January 4, 2010
SEBASTIAN — Sharks - demons of the sea - or a diverse group of animals that deserves an image makeover?
Marine biologist Hannah Mead will change your perception of them in "Even Sharks Need Friends," a presentation of the Turtle Coast Sierra Club at the Library in Sebastian on Jan. 19, at 7 p.m.
Mead will show you what makes a shark a shark, and how those traits make them susceptible to overfishing. Emerging evidence suggests that the use of unsustainable fishing practices, like long lining and a profitable market for shark fins, are causing the depletion of local and global shark populations.
Mead earned dual degrees in Marine Biology and Ecology from Florida Tech. She recently returned from living in South Africa, where she earned a Master's degree in Zoology from the Marine Biology Research Institute at the University of Cape Town. All of her free time was spent at sea with white sharks, either tagging/observing them for governmental and PhD projects, or as an onboard scientist for a commercial cage diving company, promoting education and conservation among the clients.
Her free time was also spent catching shy sharks for research or cruising with the cow sharks off the Cape peninsula and the whale sharks of Mozambique. Being immersed in such a "sharky" community solidified her commitment to research, and their conservation.
Admission to this program is free and open to the public. A social hour with refreshments begins at 6:30 p.m. The North Indian River County Library is located three miles west of U.S. 1 on Sebastian Boulevard. Call (772) 589-1355 for more information.
http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2010/jan/04/sharks-need-friends-1281/
Thursday, 31 December 2009
Lifeguards to get texts from approaching sharks
December 31, 2009 7:52 AM
Australian lifeguards will soon get text messages when Great White sharks swim near the beaches they are patrolling.
Researchers are electronically tagging the man-eating predators with GPS units which will constantly monitor their movements.
If the sharks then get too near to a beach a satellite receiver will automatically send out emails and text messages to wildlife officials and lifeguards.
Currently 74 white sharks have been tagged and there are 20 communications-equipped monitoring stations have been installed off the Perth coast.
Bosses say they hope the network will "provide timely alerts of tagged sharks' presence close to beaches" -- obviously this is unless the lifeguard is busy playing a game on his phone at the time. Australian Department of Fisheries’ Senior Research Scientist Dr Rory McAuley said: "With more monitors installed we have improved chances of hearing from tagged sharks, when they are around.
"Although sharks are being tagged to improve our understanding of the risk of attacks, it is also important that beachgoers are advised of detections."
http://newslite.tv/2009/12/31/lifeguards-to-get-texts-from-a.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+newslite+%28news%3Alite.tv%29
Australian lifeguards will soon get text messages when Great White sharks swim near the beaches they are patrolling.
Researchers are electronically tagging the man-eating predators with GPS units which will constantly monitor their movements.
If the sharks then get too near to a beach a satellite receiver will automatically send out emails and text messages to wildlife officials and lifeguards.
Currently 74 white sharks have been tagged and there are 20 communications-equipped monitoring stations have been installed off the Perth coast.
Bosses say they hope the network will "provide timely alerts of tagged sharks' presence close to beaches" -- obviously this is unless the lifeguard is busy playing a game on his phone at the time. Australian Department of Fisheries’ Senior Research Scientist Dr Rory McAuley said: "With more monitors installed we have improved chances of hearing from tagged sharks, when they are around.
"Although sharks are being tagged to improve our understanding of the risk of attacks, it is also important that beachgoers are advised of detections."
http://newslite.tv/2009/12/31/lifeguards-to-get-texts-from-a.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+newslite+%28news%3Alite.tv%29
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