‘Punishing’ sharks an irresponsible precedent - 25 February 2009

“The Daily Telegraph’s attempt to catch a shark in Sydney Harbour is a stupid stunt that simply generates hysteria and fear”, says Ian Cohen, Greens MLC.

“What was the Telegraph trying to do by hooking this shark and trying to take it out of its habitat – send a message to the shark population?

“Their story suggests that their reporter caught the shark that bit a navy diver recently because it was of a similar length and looked the same. It is ludicrous to suggest that it is the same shark. Since when do we punish wild animals for doing what they do in their own habitat?”

“The Greens have been campaigning for years to protect NSW fish populations and the marine environment so that the habitats of many species can regenerate from perilously low levels, notably the Grey Nurse shark which is near extinction. The Greens have also vigorously opposed the netting of NSW beaches as being of little use in protecting people against sharks whilst killing many other species.”

“By hunting down this “man-eater”, the Telegraph is encouraging its readers to go out and catch sharks; an irresponsible stunt that will only hurt shark populations we have been trying to restore.”

“The Telegraph is encouraging a form of shark vigilantism, suggesting catching sharks is an acceptable practice and setting a precedent for every other shark hunting ‘hero’, although hunting from a power boat with high tech equipment is hardly the stuff of heroes,” said Mr Cohen. “

“Does anyone think that catching one shark will make Sydney Harbour a safer place to swim? If people want to be one hundred per cent safe and swim in Sydney Harbour, there are a number of dedicated harbour pools. People are thousands of times more likely to die in boating or drowning accidents on the harbour than from being bitten by a shark. Humans need to accept that if we venture into areas where there are wild animals there are risks involved.”

“The only encouraging part of the Telegraph’s story was that the waters around Clifton Gardens are teeming with fish — and that the shark got away.”