Lighthouse beach again

Congratulations on pulling off the greatest public relations stunt in history. So would you spare us a few minutes and tell us how you managed to do it? Some of us – sad throwbacks to another era – are a little confused. Like a lot of trends, we kind of missed the moment when it became cool to love sharks.Silly old us. We'd come to loathe and fear the bloody things. Clearly our simple minds had been brainwashed by too many late night repeat viewings of Jaws. Don't get us wrong. There is more than a tinge of respect there. After all, a beast that has cruised the earth's oceans relatively unchanged for more than 400 million years – the most effective killing machine evolution could muster – surely deserves a little awe and even reverence.



But this new movement that has sprung up around Australia has us completely perplexed. Somehow you've turned the most feared creature on this planet into a poster boy for animal rights. As the writer Robert Drewe has observed, the shark has become the new dolphin. What a handful of us regarded as a pea-brained bloodthirsty killer is apparently highly intelligent. Greatly misunderstood. And, if not cuddly, then at least that favourite shark cliche – "majestic".And now, despite its historic habit of snatching young people off surfboards, dismembering innocent swimmers and damaging the fragile summer businesses of so many along the north coast of NSW, it's impossible for any sane person to even suggest that perhaps the time has come for a little "eco-management" of the burgeoning shark numbers in our waters. You know, a restricted cull. Or just a bullet for the really bad big ones. Since great white sharks were declared protected in Australian waters in 1998, their numbers are anecdotally said to have swelled. Photo: iStockSo hats off to you. You're too shy to boast about how you pulled off this public relations miracle but we can hazard a guess. First, you appealed to that small but very vocal group in the community of chronic animal rights activists who support everything unless it walks on two legs and watches commercial television.They were just looking for a new species to love, what with whales having made a massive comeback and that rather messy scandal involving Flipper and his mates when studies revealed male dolphins rape, pillage and murder more often than the Vikings.
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Then you appealed to another very small minority who are attracted to the perversity of a pro-shark movement. You know, like the women who write love letters to convicted murderers on death row, the ones who become aroused by flirting with something dangerous and forbidden. As long as they don't have to physically embrace it.But you also capitalised on a growing warped value system in our society that decrees many (but not all!) animals must be accorded almost human status. It's what the environmental philosopher Chris Diehm calls "the paradox of the cats in our houses and cows on our plates". You scream for sharks to be protected, yet slap at every mosquito that lands on your arm while holding out your plate for another lamb chop.Ever since 1998 when great white sharks were declared protected in all Australian waters, their numbers – anecdotally – have swelled. We don't know by how much because, annoyingly, a census of their population is as difficult for scientists to conduct as it is for the Bureau of Statistics when it comes to measuring humans. But if the past 12 months of attacks on the north coast of NSW has destroyed lives and businesses, it has also made life awkward for Premier Mike Baird, who already has his hands full on another animal front. Baited drum lines? Smart drum lines? Nets? The problem is only going to worsen as our population of surfers and swimmers grows – along with shark numbers.So why not consider a "managed reduction" in shark numbers, as we regularly do for kangaroos and rabbits and other species that impact our lives? Here's why it won't happen. During the recent WA shark culls, thousands of protesters would gather on Perth's beaches waving placards, demanding shark rights and singing hymns to this denizen of the deep who, through cunning PR expertise, has become a sage of the seas.For all the guile and deceptiveness that the sultans of spin have cloaked around the current shark controversy, the issue has become a textbook example of how a vocal minority has once again managed to control public debate and policy in this country.But what it boils simply down to is this: If you love sharks more than people then you must be a little flaky. And that's a deliberately poor joke. Because that's what the save-the-shark movement has become.Garry Linnell is co-presenter of The Breakfast Show on 2UE Talking Lifestyle



www.smh.com.au/opinion/how-on-earth-did-sharks-become-the-new-dolphin-20161006-grwojo.html

Thanks SP.That was a well written comment from Garry Linnell .

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TimKay said..
Mike Baird already has his hands full trying to ban greyhound racing in NSW.
A political move in order to gain the animal rights vote.
And now he is rethinking his stance because it might cost him the premiership.
And now he has given the green light for baited drum lines on the North Coast
Regardless of what the scientists, whingers, greenies or whoever else thinks it always has been a grab for votes.
No matter what side of the fence you choose to sit on

Personally, trying to make the government do something on the issue is a waste of time, protect yourself. Don't wait for someone else to do it for you.

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TimKay said..

DARTH said..

TimKay said..
Mike Baird already has his hands full trying to ban greyhound racing in NSW.
A political move in order to gain the animal rights vote.
And now he is rethinking his stance because it might cost him the premiership.
And now he has given the green light for baited drum lines on the North Coast
Regardless of what the scientists, whingers, greenies or whoever else thinks it always has been a grab for votes.
No matter what side of the fence you choose to sit on

Personally, trying to make the government do something on the issue is a waste of time, protect yourself. Don't wait for someone else to do it for you.

Never have
Never will
Just interesting to see how the debate is playing out and the people that are pulling the strings are manipulating for their own benefit
I guess that's what they call politics

Combined between WA and NSW the shark issue has now had $38 million dollars poured into it.. Of coarse its all about politics..

www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/nocookies?a=A.flavipes

They have been culling them since the 1950's. Its made no difference to attacks of late, so not sure why people think they'll change anything going forward.

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LateStarter said..

jbshack said..

They have been culling them since the 1950's. Its made no difference to attacks of late, so not sure why people think they'll change anything going forward.

Drum Lines and Nets have been in operation since the 50's. That's hardly a controlled fishery whereby a specific catch is targeted.

In 2014 Peter Sprivulus published a paper in the Australian Medical Journal, stating that despite the population growth in WA, water sports participation for the years 2001-2010 showed decreasing trend. He also stated that despite it being difficult to gauge the number of White Sharks, their numbers may have grown by up to 12.5% per annum since they were protected in 1997.

More sharks, more attacks, despite less people in the water. Do the maths :)

Protect yourself, the gov wont do it.

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LateStarter said..
Drum Lines and Nets have been in operation since the 50's. That's hardly a controlled fishery whereby a specific catch is targeted.

In 2014 Peter Sprivulus published a paper in the Australian Medical Journal, stating that despite the population growth in WA, water sports participation for the years 2001-2010 showed decreasing trend. He also stated that despite it being difficult to gauge the number of White Sharks, their numbers may have grown by up to 12.5% per annum since they were protected in 1997.

More sharks, more attacks, despite less people in the water. Do the maths :)

I understand the emotion LS but the increase in Whites is looking more like to be inline with the increase in whales especially big whites which are being sighted regularly now up and down WA.

I have heard the kids thing before and the WA news ran a front page hassling the WA Gov to start drum lines throwing the kids thing out there.

I know people yawn whenever the car accident stuff is related to shark attacks but when someone dies in a car / bike prang the physical result is often worse than a shark attack by worse I am talking about missing heads, arms, legs, disembowelment, impalement by car parts, crushed everything that's get washed out, body parts sprayed all over the road side etc by head of population in WA that's a 1 in 12,000ish chance of happening to you and or your kids. Over a lifetime its gets down into 1 in the hundreds.

Now this happens to kids in road deaths then we get to road trauma, quad / paraplegics, missing arms, legs, brain injuries etc.

On the news tonight, tomorrow there will be road deaths reported kids etc and no one reading this will even blink.

All this and yet there is no cull of fu(kwitt WA drivers................

BTW in WA the chance of shark bite is 1 in 1,000,000.

A friend of my wife's son rode his moped straight into a MTT bus he was heroically saved by bystanders but his injuries were/are horrendous physical and brain for life.........didn't even make the evening news some kid on the east coast gets a bite that he will recover from and it runs for days and days.

So I go back to my first statement "I do understand the emotion"

And if you want to call for a cull of bad drivers I will vote for you .

Sorry all and LS for the somber post.

PS In WA carry a fu(king tourniquet

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LateStarter said..

jbshack said..

They have been culling them since the 1950's. Its made no difference to attacks of late, so not sure why people think they'll change anything going forward.

Drum Lines and Nets have been in operation since the 50's. That's hardly a controlled fishery whereby a specific catch is targeted.

In 2014 Peter Sprivulus published a paper in the Australian Medical Journal, stating that despite the population growth in WA, water sports participation for the years 2001-2010 showed decreasing trend. He also stated that despite it being difficult to gauge the number of White Sharks, their numbers may have grown by up to 12.5% per annum since they were protected in 1997.

More sharks, more attacks, despite less people in the water. Do the maths :)

Just for the record i was completely wrong, they haven't been culling sharks since the 50's... It actually started in 1937

Do the maths you say, well researches are saying the numbers are still low, (Having done genetic surveys) yet attacks are still happening..Numbers low and yet attacks are still happening..Obviously what they've been doing isn't working.. People can get angry at my response all they like. They culled sharks in Hawaii, attacks increased. They have been culling sharks for years now in Reunion, attacks have still increased. Culling sharks in Australia since 1937 and attacks are increasing..There is a correlation ..

Ballina is the new Reunion island

Locals should be paying less soon for their fish and chips then

The first minute was rubbish.

I've meet both her and her father some years ago

I went at met the key people and spoke to heaps there in charge 2 years ago and they are stil talking in circles and as I told them what happened here in WA and reunion nothing will change in saving surfers from frontline protection unless they protect themselves .

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m00chy said..

jbshack said..

KEARNSY said..
Bring on your red thumbs!

Im no expert but Im hoping once the government starts relating to this issue as a "problem" for society they will stop worrying about the sharkies feelings and lift them off the protected list and put them on the target list.
Only reason why the pollie's haven't taken firm action is because they are too worried about the majority (who don't even use the ocean) not voting for them.

Piss weak!

Any scientific repellent still isnt fixing the issue of growing population of sharks.

Why are they still protected anyway??? Surely they are not an endangered species anymore?
I cant help but wondering if we have created this problem by keeping them on the protected list for so long?

What would your life look like if you couldn't surf? Its coming , and not far away.

Get on with it - LEAD TO THE HEAD

The problem is Kearnsy that the population isn't growing dramatically like people think. Yes attacks are increasing, but its not due to the population of sharks..Thats the problem the scientific community is having..They don't have the answers.. Just because people think its obvious, its not..

I'll tell you who doesn't have the answers- you. I am tired of biting my tongue on this. It's this crap which is costing lives. THERE IS VERY LIMITED DATA ON GREAT WHITE NUMBERS, FACT. You are speculating here. There's heaps of them. LIFT THE PROTECTION.

Go on get angry, that helps