SHARKS — HAZARD
MITIGATION — ESPERANCE
1057. Hon PETER COLLIER to
the minister representing the Minister for Fisheries:
I
refer to the Esperance community's concerns regarding the McGowan
government's response to a fatal shark attack.
(1) Is it a government
policy to not deploy drum lines after a fatal shark attack or in the case of an
imminent threat to public safety?
(2) Is it the government's
policy to utilise tagging only over the use of drum lines?
(3) How many
great white sharks have been successfully tagged by the government each year
since 2017?
Hon
ALANNAH MacTIERNAN replied:
I thank the member for the
question. The following information has been provided by the Minister for
Fisheries.
(1) It is not the
policy of the government to automatically deploy shark capture gear in response
to shark incidents. The serious threat guidelines include a number of public
safety measures available in the event of a shark incident. Setting of capture
gear remains an option open to the deputy director general of the Department of
Primary Industries and Regional Development in circumstances by which the
measures outlined in the guidelines have not appropriately mitigated the threat
to the public. A decision to deploy capture gear will consider whether the
deployment of the capture gear and the management of any animal captured can be
undertaken without exposing staff or other first responders to unnecessary
risk.
(2) The government's shark hazard mitigation
strategy has a strong focus on science-based solutions, including access
to information and technology to improve personal protection to those most at
risk, surfers and divers. This is a complex problem and requires an integrated
solution. The multifaceted strategy includes a
world-first subsidy for proven electronic shark deterrents that now includes
devices specifically suited to both divers and surfers, an extension of the real-time
shark monitoring network, funding for Surf Life Saving WA for
patrols, and grants for local governments to install beach emergency numbers
signage to improve response times to
emergencies. In addition, a scientific trial of
Shark-Management-Alert-in-Real-Time—SMART—drum lines.
Targeted tagging is an important component of the strategy with a total of 120
white sharks tagged in WA. It supports the provision of information to the
public and improves our understanding of the movement of sharks.
(3) As at 13 October 2020, 15
sharks were tagged in 2017, 12 in 2018, 17 in 2019, and 15 in 2020.