FactFile: the facts on shark bites and shark numbers
Are there more sharks in Australian waters than there used to be, and are interactions between humans and shark increasing? Some Australian politicians have claimed that to be the case.
Let’s look at the research.
The most reputable source for shark incident data in Australia is the Australian Shark Attack file, which is collated at Sydney’s Taronga Zoo.
The map below, created by The Conversation using data from the Australian Shark Attack File, shows incidents between sharks and humans in Australia between 1997 and 2017.
You can use the filter buttons in the map to explore the data by year, season, the type of injury, the type of shark involved, the type of incident – or a combination of all the filters. Press the ‘show all’ button to reset the search.
The number of recorded encounters between sharks and humans in Australia increased modestly between 1997 and 2017, but the reason for this is unclear. Over those two decades, the Australian population increased by 33%, but that alone doesn’t explain the increase in recorded shark encounters.
Correcting for the growth in human population in Australia, the data show that between 1997 and 2017:
• incidents resulting in injury increased by 1.59%
• incidents without injury increased by 0.36%, and
• fatalities increased by 0.07%.
Encounters between humans and sharks are extremely variable over time, and difficult to predict. The increases in recorded incidents between 1997 and 2017 are relatively small, and may be explained by factors not related to shark populations – such as increases in the reporting of shark encounters, or increasing beach use.
Are there more sharks off the Australian coast?
White Sharks (formerly Great White Sharks) are recorded as being responsible for 28 of the 36 fatal shark encounters in Australian waters between 1997 and 2017, and are the primary target of shark mitigation strategies of the Western Australian, New South Wales and Queensland governments.
So, has there been an increase in the number of White Sharks in Australian waters?
Estimating population numbers in the marine environment is difficult, especially for long-lived migratory species like White Sharks.
However, there is no evidence that White Sharks numbers are on the rise, either in Western Australia or along the Eastern coast. Despite targeted conservation efforts, the available research show stable or slightly declining numbers in these populations.
There are two distinct populations of White Sharks off Australian coasts – one to the west, and another to the east of Bass Strait, which separates Tasmania from mainland Australia. The eastern population includes New Zealand White Sharks.
Recent work by the CSIRO through the National Environmental Science Program’s Marine Biodiversity Hub using innovative DNA analysis has provided us with the most detailed and reliable estimates of population size we have for this species.
The CSIRO study shows there has been a slight decline in adult White Shark populations since the year 2000.
Current adult abundance for the eastern Australasian population is estimated at 750, with an uncertainty range of 470 to 1,030. The southern-western adult population is roughly double the size, estimated at 1,460, with an uncertainty range of 760 to 2,250.
Including the available information about juvenile White Sharks, estimates of total size for the eastern population in 2017 was 5,460, with an uncertainty range of 2,909 to 12,802.
It’s difficult to detect population trends with White Sharks because of the length of time it takes juveniles to reach maturity – around 15 years. As protection of White Sharks began in the late 1990s, any changes in abundance would only be starting to appear in current populations.
How else can we measure White Shark populations?
The traditional way of measuring shark and fish populations is by examining catches in commercial fisheries over long time periods. By correcting for the level of fishing effort – which is done by looking at things like the number of nets, hooks and tows deployed by fishermen – scientists can assume that changes in the “catchability” of sharks is related to their abundance.
But due to the relative rarity of catches of White Sharks by fishing vessels, this approach is less reliable for this species than the more recent genetic studies conducted by the CSIRO and outlined above.
Western Australia has a detailed measure of White Shark numbers assessed by catch data. A report published by the Western Australian Department of Fisheries in 2016 attempted to model changes in the southern-western Australian White Shark population since the late 1930s. The authors outlined four different plausible scenarios, none of which suggested a continuous increase in the number of White Sharks.
In New South Wales, there has been a cluster of shark bites in recent years. Data from the NSW Shark Meshing (Bather Protection) Program, managed by the NSW Department of Primary Industries, show a recent increase in White Sharks caught in nets placed near ocean beaches.
But when it comes to thinking about shark populations, we should not assume that these two facts are related. It’s important to remember that just because two things may correlate, it doesn’t mean that one caused the other.
These patterns could mean that the animals are coming closer to shore, rather than a population increase (or decrease).
Shark and human interactions: what factors are at play?
A 2016 paper examined six global shark bite “hotspots” – the United States, South Africa, Australia, Brazil, Reunion Island and the Bahamas – and concluded that when it comes to encounters between sharks and humans, there are a range of causes at play.
These include:
• rises in human population
• habitat destruction/modification
• changes in water quality
• climate change
• changing weather patterns, and
• the distribution/abundance of prey.
The authors also noted that shark encounters appear to happen in clusters. For example, 2009 saw a spike in shark encounters off the New South Wales coast. This coincided with an increase in beach attendance and beach rescues during what was an unusually warm summer for south-east Australia.
A 2011 paper highlighted the popularity of water sports as a factor contributing to increased human-shark encounters. More people are taking part in water sports, and improvements in wetsuit technology mean that people are in the water for longer throughout the year.
However, there is limited information on the number of people who use Australian beaches, so this explanation needs to be further studied.
It’s vital that any strategies put in place to reduce the number of unprovoked encounters between humans and sharks in Australian waters are carefully considered, and based on the best available research.
//JANE WILLIAMSON and VINCENT RAOULT
This article was first published on The Conversation
Comments
Uh oh, the conspiracy theorists are going to have a field-day with this...
Seriously though, it would be interesting to look at body condition metrics in the sharks sampled (i.e., emaciated or good condition) from smart drums etc. given that there has been a slight decline in numbers. Also, now that there are estimates of population size, one could also pose questions concerning the amount of biomass required to support these populations (pop. estimate range also considered) based on the energetic requirements of white sharks (i.e., how much fish etc. consumed to maintain body condition). If, for instance, population-level energetic requirements exceed the biomass available there may be a problem and, this part is purely speculative, may drive emaciated individuals to explore alternative and novel food sources.
No record of attack anywhere near my local break. Wonder if that's a good sign or it means we're due?
couple of funny things I noticed,
West beach has been placed on the yorke peninsula by mistake
Apparently there was an injury from a port Jackson shark in Victoria.....you gotta watch those port jacksons raaah
Hi there, Lucinda Beaman here, FactCheck editor at The Conversation. Thank you for bringing this location issue to our attention. It has now been amended. Thanks again, Lucinda
I would love to see those stats broken down further than just "Shark incidents per million people, Australia"
It's a kind of pointless stat seeing the majority of the Australian population don't even enter the ocean or if they do it's rarely further than knee to waste deep and even then for most it would only be for a few hours a year at best.
While people like us surfers, divers etc are much further from shore often fully immersed and spend on average quite a few hours a week.
Id love to see the percentage of risk we are at, its going to be much much higher..i think the percentage would start getting a little scary looking.
I've often thought exactly this - but then blank it from my mind and continue to live in denial as it helps me catch more waves....
Hi Indo-dreaming, Jane Williamson here. I am one of the authors of this article. I agree that it would be great to further classify into beach users to assess the number of shark incidents in a better, more realistic context. These data just don't exist though. DPI is more closely assessing beach use (at least in NSW) and hopefully this will give us a greater clarity on this issue.
What does "incidents without injury " mean and how do they collect that data. I've been buzzed by a couple and shared it on Dorsal. I'd see that as an "incident without injury".
Seems to me there are a lot of 'holes ' in this story from saying that the no. of adult white sharks seems to be in decline and it has declined since 2000..? what are they comparing this to as i'm pretty sure they didn't know in 2000 or before how many adult whites there were.Rubbery figures? Its quite possible that the reason it has gone a bit quiet on the east coast is due to the fact that the smart drum lines have put the wind up the smaller sharks that have been caught and tagged and they are a bit more aware of humans than before
So its not far fetched to say there might have been a few more interactions if there weren't drum lines.The next few years will tell the story.
God, this is infuriatingly poor science and science "journalism".
Missing attacks/encounters from the Byron/Ballina region for one.
For two, and more importantly there was never an accurate estimate of white shark numbers on the east coast at the time of protection.
That makes a complete mockery of any claims of declines, stability or increases in white shark populations.
And with margins of error so high there is no evidential base which can be relied upon to make that assessment.
The only evidence we have is an increased number of whites caught in the beach meshing program, an increased number of white shark encounters/attacks, anecdotal evidence from fishermen/surfers of increased numbers and tagging/observation data which shows at the very least seasonal abundances of juvenile/sub-adult white sharks.
Any other conclusions belong to advocacy and politics, not science.
Agreed, although the CSIRO did a good job developing a new technique to try and estimate current shark numbers, the above article is garrrrrb.
Suggesting adult numbers are down but making no comment on juvenile number?? Did it not suit her agenda?
Something smells fishy.
They also have misplaced shark encounters in Victoria. One over the Mornington Peninsula is from Portland (but happens to share a common bay name of Bridgewater). Not the most impressive data when the first thing you look at is wrong!
The editors at The Conversation have informed me that all the Ballina/Byron Bay incidents are accounted for on the map, including those Steve pointed out. Scaling may have accounted for the apparent oversight but they can be found when filtering via year.
Haven't informed them of the Portland mistake yet.
I've just commented on The Conversation article regarding Portland and a couple of other issues with their Flinders data.
Correct, they aren't shown on the map but can be found searching by year.
I think Ballina/Byron would have blown the map off the screen if they included all the attacks encounters in the last 10 years.
There was a very serious attack in ballina on 2nd july 2015. This is not included in data.
Hi there, Lucinda Beaman here, FactCheck editor at The Conversation. Thank you for bringing this location issue to our attention. It has now been amended. Thanks again, Lucinda
Agree, poor science and poor reporting
Poor science and poor reporting?
Strange comment considering its a compilation off all available data with statistics showing how that relates to population etc. The science is data and how it relates.
Its a huge point that yes attacks have gone up but compared to population it hasnt.
The data is correct and considering that that there are over 300 plotted on the map I think a few in the wrong spots or not shown is not surprising we all have local knowledge but when plotting over the whole country things become challenging. They are also correcting as we surfers share our local knowledge.
Its not perfect but its a great start and something that could be updated and worked on.
One line comments from private school armchair bloggers attacking articles like this is unhelpful and arrogant.
"For two, and more importantly there was never an accurate estimate of white shark numbers on the east coast at the time of protection."
Repeated for emphasis.
The cynic in this former academic smells a whole pile of generalist mumbo-jumbo here, without being able to establish or prove anything new or helpful. To the contrary, to me, there's a lot of unplugged holes in the assertions presented here.
Scientism. Again..
https://vigilantcitizen.com/sinistersites/sinister-sites-the-georgia-gui...
Commercial diving is considered provoking an attack according to their breakdown.
Exactly blowin. The poor diver off Maria Island (Tas), obviously lunged at the shark with his scallop bag prior to being attacked.
A very poor report, long on jargon and short on fact.
In the NSW smart drumline program, for CY2017, the ratio of GWS to all other species of shark caught (that’s about 12 different species) is around 2.2 to 1.
Rare indeed ;-)
Lucinda @ Conversation team, if you are reading, do you have data from prior periods - say compare 1977 with 1997 and 2017? Anecdotally, on the West Coast they started becoming far more apparrent in late 90's, the attacks beginning in 2000.
They have also got the location of the Streaky Bay attack in SA wrong. I'm sure it should be Back Beach
So...
Does this count as one encounter, or hundreds?
https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/sharks/rottnest-swim-angry-competitors-...
Excellent work. Good informative article. Noticed another minor location issue - Parsons Beach in SA is shown as on Yorke Peninsula, it is on Fleurieu Peninsula. Keep up the good work.
Why only twenty years ? I have been surfing or in the water for more than that.
The statistics are inconclusive.
I hope this doesn't give people a false sense of security or worse..... insecurity.
Study has holes , nice use choice of colours ...
How about we get these specialist's out of their offices away from the computer. Get them to do field work in the real world.
#Less adult sharks nowdays ?
Really how do they know ?
Stop the presses ...news reveals the sharks are well fed .....thank god for that eh......
http://www.theherald.com.au/story/5254785/port-stephens-feeding-frenzy-i...
The decision to omit divers/snorkelers from the Shark file is irksome - perhaps spear fishers might need to be identified as a subset. Perhaps we could omit motorcyclists and pedestrians from the road toll to better estimate the real risk we car drivers face !
Most of the spots the authors cite regarding attack clusters have invoked shark protection legislation in recent years. I do think the CSIRO close kin benchmark is a good thing however- should help resolve things going forward as they say
Not perfect but a good start.
A filter option for type of victim would be useful and easy enough to add i.e. wave rider, swimmer, spearfisher, scuba diver, kayaker etc.
Also useful in future would be a record of any shark deterrent the victim was using and what type it was.
good suggestion tomdo- presumably the have the historical data given they decided not to include incidents.
Another assumption that is oft repeated is that protective factors only commenced with protected species listing. Significant reductions in gillnet effort/shark quotas in the 1990s presumably reduced interactions ahead of listing . in the 80s heard of a big white caught in a gillnet that was still alive but leatherjackets had eaten its eyes out
Snake, shark and crocodile deaths are all up since 1992' Rio Earth Summit.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_snake_bites_in_Australia
https://www.zmescience.com/other/feature-post/georgia-guidestones-myster...
http://www.deagel.com/country/Australia_c0013.aspx
I would have thought that shark corpses would have been sought after for biological examination of their condition. If the net contractors are not gathering a ton of data on each species they catch the research is missing out, size, estimated weight, photograph of stomach contents, fat sample etc. Speak to a commercial fisherman and ask him what his catch is like compared to a decade or so ago and you will hear of decreases across many species. It seems logical that fish catch and fishery management data be investigated alongside shark attack data to see if food availability is a contributing factor. I remember when they first introduced long line fishing in NSW, the volume of big tuna being caught was massive as were the fish but as the years went on I noticed drops in catch and fish size. A fact not lost on the crew members. If the big pelagic numbers are dropping then food availability may be playing a bigger part than we think.
Cheers!
Whilst overfishing for pelagic species might be a factor, they are not primary food sources for white sharks.
Inshore fishing effort , at least in NSW has decreased substantially in the last 20 years.
Demersal and semi-pelagic inshore species like kingfish numbers are up, as are australian salmon and other species.
In other words, there is heaps for juvenile/sub-adult white sharks to eat.
White sharks are primarily an inshore and continental species, not a trans-oceanic pelagic shark.
As white sharks become adults they transition to mammalian food sources like seals, dolphins and whales.
`Whales and seals in particular have all rebounded spectacularly, with some speculating they have reached theoretical carrying capacities.
Ergo, there is heaps for adult white sharks to eat.
Food availability is the common knee jerk reaction seen on Facebook : eg "We're eating all their food, no wonder they are coming in and attacking us"
Only problem is, that's BS.
I was aware white's tend to like the seal, I would have thought they liked the bigger pelagics as well as a good baitball. Interesting your note about them being inshore. Some time sit in our wake bubble for a day and half between Fiji and Rabaul. Every meal time when the garbage and food scraps went out, the damn thing would put an appearance in. So food scarcity was my first thought, seems that is off the books.
Cheers Freeride.
Makos are a pelagic, oceanic shark and pretty fcuking awesome hunters.
Also its not as mysterious or complicated as they make out.
White sharks were almost decimated up until late sixties....white sharks slowly start breeding and similar to the whales their numbers grow every year......but its how fast and how many is the going to be the question that will need to be answered....not the so called science of its roughly between 2900 and 12800........on the east coast....
If you are worried about shark attack, stay out of the water. We all take a much greater risk every time we get in a car. On any possible interpretation of the data the risk is low. Yes if you spend a lot of time in the water it increases but only as a lifetime risk. The odds of attack during your 5000th session, all else being equal, are the same as for your first. To think otherwise is the gambler's fallacy. Those criticising the science are wrong headed. No-one has claimed their data is definitive or that their hypotheses must be correct. In areas like this science proceeds by the slow accumulation of data, it does not deal in absolutes. Get used to it. It will be a long time before we have a full understanding of shark population dynamics.
@Blindboy,I think its a little more complicated and convoluted than that ......
BB - Don't confuse concern over being attacked personally with concern over letting the white shark population rebuild to virgin levels without expecting bad outcomes for coastal communities. Further you don't need a full understanding of a fish species' population to implement management measures. To better understand the population recovery for white sharks will require a commitment to repeat sampling and running the close kin analysis at regular intervals.
Shark dynamics and population were well understood back in the 1950's when Sir Victor Coppleson wrote his best seller "Shark Attack" regarding the shark problem from the early 1800's onwards, which mirrors the issue now. He had it fixed for us then but his decisions were reversed completely after his untimely passing in 1965' no one ever mentions him. Its astounding. He got a SIR for his work saving Humans not fish. He also pioneered mouth to mouth resuscitation.
http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/coppleson-sir-victor-marcus-5776
As this is mere opinion (assuming opinion is still allowed) I watched JAWS again the other night on the "TV". It never gets old. Robert Shaw is electric under duress from the IRS. So I watch Quint (Robert Shaw) with great humour as usual. I find Alf Dean by accident the week before and join the dots. Quint's character could be based on Alf Dean! Some images may trigger so beware. Also here is the Federal Environment Minister concurring on the value of Human life.
The opening shark attack scene in JAWS was also cut this time interestingly.
http://www.whiteburys.com/alf-dean-featured.html
http://www.joshfrydenberg.com.au/guest/opinionDetails.aspx?id=237
Regarding laziness : "Thinking is difficult, that’s why most people judge" Carl Jung.
These people add up when we care to look. Bicycle riders the same. We lose 50 a year now. When Quint was a boy there wasn't a bike on pedestrian fatality ever. It matters little whether you like bikes so don't bother complaining here about it. 50 Humans. Same in Indo per annum: 50 Humans. That's us btw. Lots of silence from the greenies on this subject..
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-02-07/snake-bite-victim-sinita-martin-a-...
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/baby-girl-dies-in-rottweiler-...
My police friend was the first responder to this scene he's not the same now.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-08-31/girl-loses-hand-in-dog-attack-lake...
http://waronhumans.com/
Nigel my point is that the existing data shows no reason for concern. Making significant policy changes therefore is unnecessary and unwise.
i was in the ocean swim to rotto last week when the competitors were taken out of the water due to "3.5 - 4m" white shark sighting. It was great the organisers did that - in case the shark was in a feeding frenzy and was wanting to mow through the 10km bait ball of 2000 swimmers and their paddlers - but it wasn't interested in humans - it was either curious to see what was going on and just caught up in the action. So after 10 minutes and no more sightings they should have let us back in because anecdotally; those of us that had trained for months were pissed off at the inconsistent management and application of the race rules..main point being if you want swim 20kms out to sea you have to accept you may taken by a shark..but its so unlikely, it's not worth letting in ruin your thrill of the ocean..same goes for every surf I have.
Team or solo RR?
team of 4 stu - I don't think I could ever be that dedicated to swimming training. 3 of my best mates fly over from Sydney ever year and we take the piss out of each other for 2 days. If I keep the training up from here my takeoffs in our NW winter waves don't seem as late!
Well there's all the motivation you need for when you're staring at the black line.
I did the Perth - Rotto swim for about six years, it's a great event, not to mention the gathering at the Quokka Arms afterwards. I can also vouch for the frustration when the organisers pull the pin, which happened to us one year due to swell size. Though any resentment quickly dried up on the ferry ride over when picturing ourselves in the channel trying to make a go of it in 4 metres of groundswell.
Any urge to do the Molokai Stu?
No urge whatsoever.
Don't mind long swims, kinda seems natural in a way - thigh chaff notwithstanding - but paddling puts your body in an unnatural position, and that's ruinous for my neck. I've got serious degradation in C5/C6, the same condition that ended Joey Johns and Gorden Tallis' career, so if I want to keep surfing I've gotta put my latent waterman dreams on ice.
It's the Channel of Bones loss.
"Increased modern reporting" of Shark incidents balloons statistics.
Step back in time with (Trove Newspaper site) and count every attack...(An exhaustive list?)
Family tree researchers individually consistently uncover unaccounted incidents.
Timely factors!
1700-1800's
Creeks/Rivers were for most part silted over..thus locking out sharks from estuaries.
Beach Coaches/Rowing/Rafting/Punting to Ships were our only Trade Routes & Transit.
Sea Bathing + Food resourcing by Women + children.
Whilst Islanders worked the rivers the Chinese/Irish migrations were oblivious to Sharks.
In this era East Coast family life was constant with Estuaries/Ocean on a daily basis.
1800-1900's
Trains dumped crowds to feared isolated beaches. Just change (Shark Bay) station name.
Southport + Coolangatta had "Shark Bays"... I'm guessing all your towns had a Shark Bay!
Shipping Breakwaters were cut thru inviting a world of Sharks.
City Motorists could park/camp/fish/recreate at all Beaches/Breakwater riverside reserves.
1900's - 2000's
Expert Trump SLSC Rifle Marksmen tiered Shark Towers keeping the beasties at Bay.
Canals increased residential waterfront complacency.
Boyz Toyz R4 Girlz. Legropes/Wetsuits as mentioned open up sea to every girl & her mut.
Do nails/hair then grab Latte win free Lunch break Surf Lesson. Now Queens of all 7 Seas!
No offence! My point being Girls are fast becoming Shark Fodder as the Boyz.
Buzz Lightyear & Beyond
Super Ministry powers up Shark Shields for Richie Rich's mid Ocean Boardroom meetings.
Today Celeb skegbotz easily repel 100 sharks spruiking B grade Surf product promos.
Many OZ only Timeline factors not mentioned here/above that equally apply to statistics.
Epic comments guys!
Fellow Swellnetonians have earned another treat from my pile of messy files.
Sorry that all below stats' strictly relate to my local waters of Fraser Island - Angourie)
Shark Incidents 1955- 2017
1955 - 1975 were 31 Shark incidents
1976 - 1996 were 20 Shark incidents
1997 - 2017 were 50 Shark incidents (Using this Map for last Statistic)
These statistics marry in with matching data set displayed here. No other reason!
With Stats! (You never see the curved ball...Hit's you in the face then stares you in the face.)
Further back in time! eg: War Years and such...the failed reporting throws out the stats.
eg: (1930's had many Shark incidents while 1920's & 1940's had considerably less).
Off the record! 1880's- 1910 average around 5/decade for same region. (Never accurate)
More incidents from these early times will be unearthed with Shipwreck/Families studies.
My Aboriginal Surf Rescue 1st edit' needs an upgrade. Monumental Shark battles in that lot!
Thanks for that, so for that area there's an earlier time period to compare to.
Traveling around Fraser, we came across the story of a beast that used to terrorise the Aboriginal people on the East side of the island, it would come ashore and force them to relocate much further inland. Sounded like a plesiosaur. Recalled by one of the first European women on the island (who encountered it herself), the tale has always fascinated me.
& Stu here's a story on the Maldives, deeply in debt and having the lendor threaten to 'call in' the loan in the form of free title to the nation's property:
http://theantimedia.org/maldives-china-saudi-arabia-uae/
Maybe a particularly angry turtle VJ?
Maybe a mean loggerhead, but see link below - letter sent to Australian Museum, multiple signed witnesses so that's a primary document. You'd take it with some seriousness unless you thought those reporting it were idiots.
people and their fear of sharks make this conversation complicated and convoluted.....the maths on the otherhand is quite straightforward.
people and their fear of sharks make this conversation complicated and convoluted.....the maths on the otherhand is quite straightforward.
velocityjohnno those earlier times to compare.
Use [Local Knowledge] as your starting point.
Obvious local factors for this stretch of coast being...
1955-1975 2nd/3rd generation locals affordably openly camped exploring all shorelines.
1976-1996 [m1] Locals tied to burb sports + Resort/Fun park pools attract families.
1997- 2017 Costly Theme parks drive Seachange TB2 boyztoyz to selfie the sharks. It's on!
Continuing...Better Faster Island Ferries/North NSW Hwy bringing more to coast.
If local context is applied at outset then it's quicker to measure scope of anomaly.(WTF)
Best to listen to Local Surfers & Fishermen tales. Only that sounds even more suss?
Velocityjohnno story... K'gari [BEWARE OF CROCODILES & PLESIOSAUR] Please be true!
Moha Moha.
Enjoy TBB:
http://www.fido.org.au/moonbi/backgrounders/43%20Moha%20Moha.pdf
Loch ness monster on holidayz?
What would be interesting is an article here on human psychology in the context of sharks, that is, why is the public so afraid of them to the point that it guides policy, despite the fact that the chance of attack-related mortality being relatively small. To put it into context, according to the ABS between 2007-2016 there were 426, 692 mortalities due to malignant neoplasms (no. 1 category on the list), 404, 495 to heart disease (all heart disease categories combined) and 7,861 to car crashes. Compare this with 24 mortalities for contact with a marine animal (i.e., not just sharks, but does not include venomous marine animals as different category) and it is clear there is a perception problem. Across all categories, total human mortality 2007-16 was just over 3.5 million, so those due to contact with a marine animal made up about 0.000007 % of this. No one is afraid of malignant neoplasms, heart disease or car crashes to the point that it guides policy, yet sharks seem to terrify us and be perceived as the demise of us all…
Bullshit, govts spend millions and millions on trying to reduce the road toll and deal with heart disease , cancer etc etc and other leading forms of mortality.
and we spend millions depleting the ocean of a shark food source. so on the contrary i think plenty of money is being spent all round to reduce most risks facing humans to an acceptably low threshold.
Completely missed what I was saying, but not surprising in the least (freeride).
Didn't miss what you were saying, just think your premise is BS.
ie that this is a problem of human psychology.
As a local and very publicised example people in the Ballina area feared or at least respected (mostly) bull shark attacks which happened every so often, including fatalities.
But no action was taken by any govt agency.
Then a cluster of attacks occurred beginning with the fatality of Paul Cox Sep 14 (in Byron Bay) then another fatal in Feb 15, followed by multiple attacks during 2015 and 2016.
It wasn't the psychology of Ballina residents that changed it was the frequency of attacks and the numbers of juvenile/sub-adult white sharks that had become abundant in the area.
These numbers were confirmed by surveillance and tagging programs.
Again, quantifiable data, nothing to do with human psychology.
On a personal level I knew no-one in that period who died from car crash or cancer but I knew multiple people who been attacked by white shark, and almost every single person I knew who surfed regularly had had single or multiple encounters.
Nothing to do with psychology.
Based on that, Ballina surfers agitated state govt agencies and mitigation measures were undertaken.
I believe these mitigation measures and the local activism that precipitated them were entirely rational based on the dramatically increased risk level to local surfers and not some irrational fear response based on watching Jaws 20 years ago, which seem to be a common implication from both academics and people outside the area looking in.
Pretty confident if you had all the people that drive cars every day sitting out in the water on boards there would be a few more marine related fatalities. The majority of the population go nowhere near the water so the risk to them is always zero.
velocityjohnno most greatful. (Love to here your views & Have you sourced similar?)
I read of giant beastie off shore Gold Coast around mid last century but never since.
simba! I too got hooked gazing Loch ness sunsets...Och aye! -You just missed him laddie!
Sandy Cape is No1 port'o'call for giant ocean creatures...A giant beast here is less a mystery.
Description of part amphibian serpentine/fish/Turtle Thingy is also akin to region.
Locals/Saltwater crew described delayed returns but seemingly to the same beaches .
As with giant turtles/crocodiles laying their clutches in & around Fraser Is / Bundaberg.
Yes! I reckon story can be given cred if Moah Moah eggs are dug up on the Island.
I bet no one said that before... I get a strange feeling that you won't hear it again either!
A rainbow sea serpent digging holes about the place.(Strictly Dreamtime business!)
I found it quite hard to source Moha Moha eggs, but they were both large and delicious. Jokes.
A better reply: a historian is trained to look for primary sources, and base any story, or argument as closely on these as possible. I learned to respect our distant elders - they were likely just as, or more, intelligent than us today. So when the sages tell Solon that Greece was very young and the world had been built and destroyed several times (from above and below, ie flood or the heavens), you give them the benefit of the doubt and research further for the most original sources. We're freaking about a 10cm sea level rise, but check out the one at the end of the Younger Dryas... that would have been epoch ending.
Every single interaction and report of GWS is a primary document if those that experience it record it. Today, that would include posting it on Dorsal, etc. Fishermen's logs and diaries are primary documents - all of this is being under-referenced at present (or outright ignored).
In this Moha Moha case the teacher is a botanist, she appears in other documents and even has a couple of species attributed to her. So there's some credentials. Then you attempt to add up the various mentions of the creature by the local Aboriginal groups - and in this case it would be preserved reports via the Europeans who interacted with them or wrote down the Dreamtime stories. Maybe you'll find reference in Parliamentary Papers, Education Dept correspondence, maybe in biographies, maybe someone has already done the work for you and published relevant extracts in books over the last 120 years (secondary sources). You note the fact that several people signed as witnesses in 1891, and that the report has been passed on to this day.
My views - yep totally possible. At least in those times. I recall I joined these Swellnet forums through a debate on whether or not 100ft waves exist some years ago. Many doubted, but I'd seen a pic of a monster behind a ship at the 100 fathom line in the Bay of Biscay. USS Ramapo had reported one about 130ft. Soon after, we dug up evidence in the North Sea, and found a tale of a monster set at Mavericks. Then, satellites began to identify many of them in the open ocean (still incredibly infrequent), and guess what, all the old mariners' tales are true. Now people ride 100ft waves.
Working throughout Tasmania, I noted primary docs that said the tiger was with us, at least until the 1990s. One I read from the 1970s was extremely detailed. Do you write the people off? Some worked on the land and would know the difference, especially when watching closely for a prolonged period of time. I note a report in the media recently referring to possible sightings in FNQ.
The Ocean's a big place. Will we be able to measure the lot, and say definitively?
Like when that second colony of Quokkas was found in mainland WA, sometimes nature will surprise to the upside.
"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy. "
Terminal' it seems that fixation continues across life & into afterlife...
Holiday Towns flout names of age old Shipwrecks/Mountain disasters.
Fear Factor spurs on Rubber Neckerz/Floody Idiotz/Storm Chasers/Cyclonic Surfers
I'd wager many here could describe what Surf spot'n'Board the Shark victims were surfing.
DWHLD {Died what he loved doing club} Must earn the poor bastards immortality.
NSW Govt spent Summer plotting gory fake news ...
World First Drone Fake rescues.(Deadly, as hovering drone ditches into ocean on next flight)
World First Drone assist in Drowned Corpse Recovery...Yep! Summer Fun Govt' Headline.
NSW Govt Next Summer's Headline...
World First Drone strike on Killer Shark [Vote Now] How should Little Ripper kill the Shark ?
I recall our nipper's club would prise open half dead Shark's mouth with stick of driftwood.
Sip beer down it's throat invite townsfolk to poke it's eyes out for some beer money.
Put your whole arm in for another 2 bob. Yep! The beast is still twitch'n...steady now!
Today some cry if a Shark is caught in the net. We've almost inched our way ahead!
...
BB- your earlier post compares relative risk of shark attack in relation to car driving. It does not, like other contributions, make mathematical sense. These risks are cumulative for surfers that drive but not for most Australians who don't venture out past nipple depth. I recognise that we probably both accept the risk and still go surfing although it was probably a bit more on my mind years back off SA.
As other have said we have now had clusters of attacks that have had impacts on several communities. This has occurred when the scientific and management consensus is that white sharks still need protection -this can only be interpreted as meaning there still is a substantial population rebuild ahead. I think the community/human cost is too high to allow this stock to return to its full potential. Fish and shark stocks can be managed sustainably well below virgin biomass.
...
...
Fact - there are sharks in the ocean...
Fact - you have more chance of being fatally knocked down crossing the road
Just be aware of your surroundings and conscious of the dangers.
End of the day surfers and divers alike should understand the risk we take spending higher than average number of hours in the water.
No point worrying about it, you have little control.
Where do you mostly surf , Ollie ?
Northern Beaches
Seen a few sharks there over the years ?
Lost any mates to sharks around the Northern beaches ?
No and no.
but I have lost friends in car accidents, and I do still drive.
Sorry , mate.
Regardless of your position on being a potential car crash statistic your opinion doesn’t carry much weight unless you’re impacted directly by the threat of shark attack.
Till then it’s just a meshed beach pipe dream believing your surfing experience is even remotely similar to that of those who live in areas where attacks are a shadow hanging over the community.
Do you ever even consider sharks as you’re going for a post work surf at Narrabeen amongst the 100 other surfers ? I’d say you wouldn’t . So maybe save your courageous talk till you’re paddling out solo at Esperance on an overcast day with a slate grey ocean . Then try doing that everyday and see how you feel.
I also forgot to mention - I also try not to drive on Australia’s most dangerous roads.
Yeah , I avoid surfing in crowds so you won’t hear me telling others to just suck it up and get over being dropped in on every second wave.
Sharks are a genuine threat to people in some parts of the country and no amount of hollow platitudes from those with no exposure makes their attempts at extracting some joy from an ocean based lifestyle any easier.
Not really trying to have a go at you personally, just sick of hearing the same opinions over and over from those with no real skin in the game.
I'm with Ollie and feel that I've got plenty of skin in the game.
Surf plenty of sharky spots but don't ask for a cull because of a few cluster events which have shifted location over the past two decades.
I’m not asking for a cull.
Having said that I don’t see any reason they should be protected completely any longer.
Let’s eat a few and feed the masses.
You seen many big sharks Craig ?
Any sharks ?
Have you surfed regularly at any of the “ cluster “ locations in the midst of a sequence of attacks ?
Seen plenty of small ones, couple of medium ones, never a big one and I'm in the water nearly every day for 2 hours (that being Sydney) longer on the weekends out of town.
A cull is a bit of a red herring Craig, and quite a meaningless term.
But seeing as the vast majority of your surfing is done at Sydney's netted beaches, in effect, you are surfing at beaches that have localised culls.
Because nets are fishing devices designed to both deter and catch sharks.
So, you might not be calling for a cull but you are party to the benefits of localised fishing devices, aka nets.
I'm against the netting and wouldn't bother me at all if they were removed.
I accept that you feel that way now but honesty and self reflection might produce a different response to shark mitigation if your friends and local community were subjected to an attack cluster.
Not saying anything pro or con in the debate other than to say i surf with craig regularly at some of the so called protected beaches.... i have seen a big tiger (3m+ ) well inside the nets at curly, so yeah despite the numbers being significantly more in our favor due to the torturous crowds we deal with and the nets the thought of a toothy critter isn't completely clear from the mind.The tiger was clearly not in hunting mode and was just cruising the surface but still 10-15m is close enough for me.
only had one other in water " experience" when i was buzzed down the coast near kiama by what which looked like a 1.5-2m ish bull but i didn't see it for long enough that i'd want to make that identification.
Surprisingly for the amount of time i spend fishing off the east coast i am yet to see a white in the wild and very few tigers mostly mako and hammers.
By no means am I trying to point out sharks are not a real threat to life.
They terrify me.
My opinion on the matter is just used as a coping mechanism dealing with the dangers in life.
Unbelievable!!! No where does this article talk about the "ENDANGERED SPECIES LIST" the great white is falsely enjoying since the late 1990's without proper research. Marine biologist are so bias it is ridiculous! Yes, we do also pull millions of fish from Australian waters every month of every year (southern blue fin Tuna exported in huge numbers to Japan, look at our fish markets in the Capital cities, filled every day!! Oh shit now Ballina has had a massive white problem in the last 4 years! Yes surfers have been killed, mauled & quit surfing or moved from this area due to the very bias scientist who fall in love with particular species of fish. Great, but if you going to fully protect one species you must protect other fish species also. It is a complete joke that surfers have to increase the risk of there lives to make some scientist happy!!! I am happy to surf with sharks BUT on a level playing field. No bullshit laws protecting the top of the food chain whilst will pillage all the fish from our oceans! As a scientist myself the current research is severely flawed & very bias! A proper Eco-system needs to be managed with logic, not emotion. Thank You
"Great, but if you going to fully protect one species you must protect other fish species also."
Every state and territory has a fish management plan to manage the sustainability of all the species relevant to the local waters. The effectiveness might be debatable in some cases, but they all have a plan to manage stocks
I am sympathetic to the feelings of the Ballina locals and those from other areas where a series of attacks have occurred but the reality is that they choose to surf in what seem to be high risk areas. There is no right to shark free surf zones nor to the risk being equalised along the length of the coast. Sadly the only solution available to those who feel the risk is too high is to stop surfing in the areas they are concerned about. I am all for governments acting to reduce risks to the public but in this case there are real limits to what can be achieved.
Fair point BB, I expect that NSW and QLD will retain their shark control programs but not much new will be implemented for a while.
...
Blindboy like your practicable view on the issue.
Shark attacks are such an emotionally charged issue as each time it happens an image of complete horror is project straight into all our minds, as Quint writes above the tragedy is raw and all to real.
I think oceans are meant to have sharks in them and their numbers should be whatever the marine environment supports. Future generations that come after us won't expect anything less.
Agree about the emotional charged issue observation, but do you apply the same expectation of returning populations of all species to their environmental carrying capacity?
Maybe the emotion wont leave this discussion because control of large predators usually means culling i.e killing and this also seems to invoke an emotional response or people claiming ecosystems will collapse etc.
In a perfect world............absolutely but reality is it's never going to happen.
Current trajectory on any level the environment degeneration here and world wide is endgame for human habitat thats without talking about climate change.
We cannot even save cute cuddly furry mammals from extinction what hope the rest?
Conversations often take two points as givens
1. The Environment is infinite.
2. Humans know better and can manage a sustainable environment.
I guess to some extent Great Whites are a test as to who we are.
Killing sharks is killing the enviroment
Have you plotted out your trajectories on a spreadsheet, and if so, there are quite a few cults that would appreciate your advice on a date for the end of days!
Haha yeah should setup my own............and keep sharp objects out of reach.
Good come back! there are some indicators both environmental and human which are on the improve. But I do get a bit pessimistic when the neighbouring unit's bins are emptied and hear the sound of lots of glass going to landfill while their recycling bin hardly gets used.
Sunday 3rd/June @ Flat Rock Ballina Shark took a bite out of a Kiteboard. Tooth is still embedded.
Department of Primary Industries is examining both Board & Tooth.
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/ballina-kite-surfer-discovers... surfboard/news story/
ABC article covers effectiveness of nets/drum/smart drum & variation of world practice...
Excellent diagrams & comprehensive research data from origin to NSW reticent smart lines.
ABC Fact Check: Are smart drum lines just a PR exercise? (Last updated 3 March 2016)
www.abc.net.au/news/2015-12-23/shark-attacks-smart-drum-lines-fact-check...
https://www.smh.com.au/national/queensland/helicopter-called-to-second-w...
Obviously this is not a rogue shark as that theory has been thoroughly disparaged with condescendion and stern words towards any that dare suggest that a shark could ever entertain the notion that humans might constitute a potential food source.
Mistaken identity: The shark thought the victims were humpback whales.
I recently made much about Golf Course run off attracting sharks.
Here the bull sharks snuck thru the gate to timeshare Great White Shark's club.
Ex Carbrook Club shark jumper is now at it again as Tweed Heads Pro toe dipper
https://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/lifestyle/baby-sharks-spotted-at-co...
Sept 10/2018 Cid Harbour 'Boatie' Shark Attack (was suppressed by Qld Govt)
(1st reported 'Today' by ABC requested by freedom of information )
Govt knew of this attack & called for drumlines prior to later "Reported Attacks".
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-09/possible-fourth-cid-harbour-shark...
Sept 19/2018 Cid Harbour Woman 46 Shark Attack
Sept 20/2018 Cid Harbour Girl 12 (Lost leg) Shark Attack
Nov 5/2018 Cid Harbour Man 33 (Fatal) Shark Attack
Jan 10/2018 Hamilton Island Gran + Girl..Shark Attack x 2 (Qld Ambulance/Lifeguards re: Shark/Not Toadfish!)
*March 25/2019 Line Reef Man 25 (Hip/Thigh /Buttocks) Shark Attack
Sept 10/2018 > *March/25/2019 (*Updated- March/25/2019)
Qld Health/Marine Authorities tally - *7 Whitsunday Shark Attacks.
Qld Govt/Tourism downplay 3 Whitsunday Shark Attacks to only tally renowned *4.
(Great Barrier Reef - Qld Govt Shark Culling) Court Case closing findings...
https://hsi.org.au/index.php/newsroom/queensland-governments-own-expert-...
Administrative Appeals Tribunal will hand down decision in coming weeks.
Big thanx to Swellnet forum to share this up to date contentious Qld Shark info.
Hi Truebluebasher. You seem to spend a lot of time researching stuff for the rest of us on this site. I just gotta know, what drives you?
Spuddups knows that more each day the Govt- hides truth / tells us less / invents lies.
Now down to half the truth in my state Qld & the next one NSW is no better nor Feds.
Plain to see that the Beach is the biggest Battleground & we need to pool resources.
Swellnet Archives may yet prove a valuable vessel for even rougher waters ahead.
Swellnetonians have always stood up to help fight battles and have some wins!
Mainly as we Surfers stand to lose the most...We must keep the bastards honest.
Many crew here wade in well overhead. We have no choice but to get up to speed
My city Gold Coast is losing several surf breaks as I write!
The Spit CST / Burleigh Rock break WSR thru fare / Cooly Creek WSR Contamination.
Greenmount is soon landlocked / Palm Beach+ Kirra + Lil Mali Reefs are smothered...
If we could save just one! Wow! A massive victory!
That'd be reason enough for me...well in my dreams of course!
Spuddups thanks for caring! You & fellow Swellnetonians are the line in the sand.
Fight them on the beaches...kick sand in their faces if you must...Save the Waves!
Keep up the good work then. Good to see someone keeping the bastards honest.
Whitsundays Shark Attack #7 since September/2018 (re: above)
25 y/o Man was spearfishing at 12:30 pm off a private Boat @ Line Reef.
Shark had bitten man's Thigh a second bite to Hip/Buttocks.
Man was treated @ Hardy Reef Pontoon.
Patient was then airlifted to Mackay Hospital where he is recovering.
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/shark-bites-man-on-...
2019 Qld 'Shark / Cetacean Timeline.'
5/7/2019 (1st Edition)
Qld Recap: (End of 2018 Recent spate of Qld Shark Attacks begins)
Attacks on Sept *19/*20 > *Oct 8 > Nov *6 /*15 continues here...
14th Dec 2018 - Report Qld Report Shark numbers decline by up to 90%.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/dec/14/queensland-shark-num...
GBR Shark Control Data Sheets (July 2016 -(End)-May 2019)
https://www.data.qld.gov.au/dataset/qld-shark-control-program-catch-stat...
2019
**10th Jan 2019 Catseye beach Whitsundays infamous Double Shark Attack (Oops! Toad fish)
https://www.9news.com.au/national/shark-attack-whitsundays-two-people-bi...
February 2019 Qld Govt Shark control (Research Strategy)
file:///C:/Users/Owner/Downloads/shark-control-program-research-strategy%20(2).pdf
18th March 2019 Humane Society release images of GBR Tortured Sharks
https://www.marineconservation.org.au/shocking-imagery-sharks-hooked-que...
*25th March 2019 Attack was thought to be a Bronze Whaler.
Correction: Victim was Swimming not Spearfishing as reported by media...
https://www.9news.com.au/national/shark-attack-queensland-whitsundays-ma...
Great Barrier Reef (Shark Culling) [HSI vs Qld Govt]
2nd April 2019 Humane Society International win Court Case vs Qld Govt.
Qld Govt forced into 24hr catch & release Smart Drum lines @ GBR ect...
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/great-barrier-reef-...
Govt began removing Hooks & suspending program...while also appealing.
12th April 2019 Qld Govt is granted a temporary stay on safety & cost grounds.
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/queensland/shark-protections-t...
15th April 2019 (GBR shark victim re:25th March agrees with court decision)
https://www.9news.com.au/national/queensland-news-shark-attack-great-bar...
note: SE/Qld Shark Programs/Lines are not affected in rulings.
SEQ nets are still entangling Whales (see video) & only get removed for Big Surf.
*14th May 2019 Yandaran, Bundaberg- swimmer's leg bitten several times + calls for nets/cull)
https://www.9news.com.au/national/shark-attack-queensland-yandaran-bunda...
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-06-04/shark-attack-victim-calls-for-qld...
9th June 2019 (Qld vs NSW) [Shark Net War] see also 5th Oct 2019
http://statements.qld.gov.au/Statement/2019/6/9/shark-control-programs-t...
18 June 2019 Sea Shepherd Qld Paper replies [re: 9th June Qld Govt $17.1m]
https://www.seashepherd.org.au/latest-news/queensland-shark-killing-prog...
21st June 2019 Whale caught / released from nets off Broadbeach
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-06-27/whale-rescued-after-stranded-in-n...
26th June 2019 National Geographic (Shark net Review) Focuses on Qld program.
https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/shark-blog/2019/06/shark-nets-pr...
26th June 2019 Open letter to Qld Minister to end harm mitigation.
https://blog.afd.org.au/uncategorized/open-letter-to-the-minister-to-rem...
27th June 2019 Main Beach Whale caught in nets. (Unconfirmed!)
https://hsi.org.au/index.php/newsroom/second-whale-caught-in-qld-shark-n...
2nd July 2019 (L.A.news airs GC entangled Whale Video) note:UK whale net news.
https://www.lasvegasnow.com/news/video-whale-entangled-in-shark-net/
2nd July 2019 USC: Netted Whales surf the inner most fluctuating surface of southern EAC
https://www.usc.edu.au/explore/usc-news-exchange/news-archive/2019/july/...
4th July /2019 Whitsundays Update! (review only > (re: bottom...)
Report suggests that The Black Spot Shark may be responsible for spate of attacks.
Notably...Whitsundays 19th & 20th Sept 2018 + 5th Nov 2018 (see tbb's list above)
https://www.4mk.com.au/news/local-news/117881-shark-experts-believe-they...
Black Spot Shark is much smaller...up to 1 metre.
https://www.sharkwater.com/shark-database/sharks/blackspot-shark/
Note: Authorities also attributed 10th Jan 2019 Shark Attacks to 'smaller' Toadfish
(Life Guards & Paramedics,insist it was a shark)see tbb March 25/2019.
*9th July 2019 (Tuesday morning 5:30am) Bells Creek, Pelican Waters
Sup rider thought he saw a fin before his morning paddle, same shark traced him.
Shark was in a tug of war over his leggie
In untangling his leg rope he inadvertently put his hand in mouth of 1m Bull Shark
Craig Mc Dougall 43 had blood spurting 3m high now 'Walking on water'.
1km to home & neighbours phoned ambos & all was sorted.($3,000 SUP is fine!)
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-11/cut-artery-stuck-hand-in-sharks-m...
21st July Whale caught / released from nets off Currumbin
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-21/whale-caught-in-shark-nets-of-que...
*28th July 2019 (Sunday evening-6:30 pm) Magra Islet, Cape Grenville .
21 y/old Woman suffered a severe bite to lower right leg by a Tiger Shark
The snorkeler was brought ashore for Rescue Chopper to Lockhart > Cairns
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-29/woman-bitten-by-shark-off-cape-gr...
2nd Aug 2019 NSW Byron sighting of a rare Omura Whale surfing.
https://www.echo.net.au/2019/09/small-fry-world-baleen-giants/
15 Aug 2019 Qld Govt Whale & Dolphin Research Permits(Observation / Biopsy / Tracking)
https://www.environment.gov.au/marine/marine-species/cetaceans/research-...
15 August 2019 Qld Govt Federal Court Appeal into GBR drum lines.
https://hsi.org.au/blog/humane-society-international-returns-to-court-th...
NSW EDO + HSI vs Qld Govt Trial is attracting huge interest from NSW
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/queensland/great-barrier-reef-...
17th Aug 2019 Agincourt Reef,Port Douglas Whale Shark (re: 3rd Sept)
https://www.facebook.com/TheCairnsPost/videos/passengers-of-a-port-dougl...
18th Aug 2019 Sarina, Netted whale freed/beached,rope on tail+initials carved into it & Burial.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-19/beached-whale-carcass-burial-plot...
3rd Sept 2019- Whale Shark 40km up a Weipa River + believed trapped! (re:18th Sept)
Rare for news not to report a happy ending! (Guinea pig in Dr Moreau's pet porpoise pool ?)
Note intentional wrangling by vessel obstructing the Whale Shark.(That's not right or fair!)
https://www.facebook.com/Sunrise/videos/queensland-whale-shark/140861615...
https://www.ntnews.com.au/news/national/whale-shark-in-weipa-mangroves/v...
17th Sept 2019- James Cook Uni- Sharks birth lazy pups in degraded (Moorea) reefs.
In pristine Seychelles Reefs the Mothers birth to lighter but more able predators.
https://www.4ca.com.au/news/local-news/95064-shark-pups-lose-gains-in-st...
18th Sept 2019 State Govt loses appeal & must free all GBR Sharks
Old Govt comply & will remove 'ALL' non release GBR drumlines & nets.
Qld Govt is seeking Fed Govt overrule & /or Fed High Court Appeal
News spreads far & wide as fast as decision was handed down.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-18/shark-attack-drum-lines-great-bar...
19th Sept 2019 - Since spate began now numbers 11 shark attacks...
23rd Sept 2019 Qld LNP commit $15m over 3 years for Smart Drum Lines
LNP claim Court never insisted Govt should remove nets, only to monitor them.
Govt claims the Smart Trials are dangerous & expensive - $100k .day for GBR
http://www.mygc.com.au/qld-opposition-commits-15m-to-smart-drum-lines/
Qld Uni's Review
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/shark-nets-and-cull...
25th Sept 2019 Qld Govt Shark Control Program (Update)
https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/fisheries/shark-control-p...
26th Sept 2019 Whale Calf trapped / released from nets off Sunshine Coast + re: Net/Stats
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-26/sunshine-coast-whale-rescue-after...
https://www.hot91.com.au/news/local-news/98239-whale-successfully-releas...
30th Sept 2019 Whale trapped / released from nets off Kirra
https://www.facebook.com/9NewsGoldCoast/posts/update-the-whale-caught-in...
3rd Oct 2019 Qld Govt Review of Shark Control Alternatives
https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/fisheries/shark-control-p...
https://www.publications.qld.gov.au/dataset/queensland-shark-control-pro...
3rd/4th Oct 2019 Qld rush release independent report to Feds for continuation of practice.
https://www.edenmagnet.com.au/story/6420477/non-lethal-shark-hooks-wont-...
https://www.edenmagnet.com.au/story/6421221/qld-calls-for-law-change-to-...
4th/5th Oct 2019 Trip Advisor bans Seaworld Tickets with captive cetaceans + reply
https://7news.com.au/news/qld/tripadvisor-bans-marine-ticket-sales-c-487097
http://www.mygc.com.au/sea-world-responds-to-tripadvisors-decision-to-ba...
5th Oct 2019 Bungan Hd , Bilgola NSW crews free Whale hauling Qld nets/Buoys.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7536869/Baby-humpback-whale-tra...
7th-11th Oct 2019 World Cetacean Alliance (Conference)
https://www.worldwhaleconference.com/Tickets-and-Registration
11th Oct 2019 Hervey Bay named 1st 'Whale Heritage Site' (Conference)
https://www.pedestrian.tv/clocked-off/hervey-bay-world-whale-heritage-site/
12th Oct 2019 Hervey Bay ORRCA Rescue Course (Conference)
https://worldcetaceanalliance.org/2019/09/27/marine-mammal-training-in-h...
10th Oct 2019 Sea Shepherd 'Protecting Sharks is safegaurding the GBR,Qld Tourist Safety
https://www.seashepherd.org.au/latest-news/protecting-queensland-sharks/
12th Oct 2019 Orca Pod (Possible Qld South Migration) gather off Ballina
https://www.coffscoastadvocate.com.au/news/incredible-30-killer-whales-s...
https://www.outoftheblueadventures.com/gallery/
*17th Oct 2019 Bribie Island Grom is knocked off his Shark bitten board
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7586871/Teenage-surfer-Riley-Br...
23rd Oct 2019 Surfers Paradise Whale Shark Pup sighting re:(3rd -2019)
https://www.facebook.com/9NewsGoldCoast/videos/rare-whale-shark-sighting...
**29th Oct 2019 Hook Passage, Airlie Beach Shark bites off man's foot & another seriously injured.
https://www.9news.com.au/national/shark-attack-in-airlie-beach-two-peopl...
4th Nov 2019 (All Change!) GBR operators now want cooperation on Non Lethal control
AMCS support GBR operators + LNP support Drones + Feds-Catch & Release + Qld Govt ?
https://www.news.com.au/national/breaking-news/call-for-unified-action-o...
https://www.marineconservation.org.au/queensland-tourism-industry-leads-...
10th Nov 2019 Cape York Ranger attacked by CROCODILE (Ranger lived - Croc was killed)
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-15/crocodile-attack-survivor-recalls...
*30th Nov 2019 Bargara man struck in chest & grazed foot by shark
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/shark-smacks-man-du...
2nd Dec 2019 State Govt re: Large shark catch sets off Political slanging match
https://www.9news.com.au/national/shark-attack-queensland-22-captured-ca...
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/national/removing-shark-drum-line...
9th Dec 2019 ( Justine relives terrifying Whitsunday attack of Sept 2018)
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-12-09/shark-attack-survivor-justine-bar...
11th Dec 2019 Dolphin breaches into Labrador Swim enclosure with families
https://www.facebook.com/9NewsGoldCoast/videos/dolphin-splashes-in-labra...
*17 Dec 2019 Shark ravaged Leg found on NSW Beach / 22 Dec > Qld Diver missing from 24 Nov)
https://www.smh.com.au/national/missing-queensland-diver-s-leg-found-hun...
*30 Dec 2019 N/W Island > Great Keppel Island- Shovel Nose bites swimmer's hand/Leg
https://7news.com.au/news/qld/man-attacked-by-shark-while-swimming-off-n...
Further Qld Whale / Cetacean counts & News
https://www.humpbacksandhighrises.org/
2019 Qld Shark Attacks averaged 1 per month - 12 for the year.(Unusually high record number)
Spate of Qld of Shark Attacks stands at 17-over 1 per month since Sept 2019 Attack.(Above)
Researcher's Notes:
Qld Govt play down shark attacks to much less than real number.
Govt now alone on Qld Drum Lines (GBR operators +LNP support zero harm Green's agenda)
Qld Govt shark equipment is defended but played down during Whale entanglement.
Rare Whale Shark sightings were post dated / cross linked as if seasonal Qld attractions
swellnet Qld timeline aims to provide full honest account of Qld shark news.
Qld major 'Shark turn around policy' needs full transparency.
Qldurrz thank you for awareness of turn of events.
For more exclusive swellnet inshore Timelines
2019 Oz Artificial Surf Reefs Timeline
https://www.swellnet.com/forums/surfing-reef-designs/393451#comment-643729
2019 Oz Whale Beachings Timeline
https://www.swellnet.com/news/swellnet-dispatch/2018/11/22/buried-whale-...
2019 Qld (rare) Whale Sharks / Killer Whales / Omura Timeline
https://www.swellnet.com/forums/wax/13776?page=6#comment-633512
[WARNING] Several Large Shark sightings on Gold Coast South > into the New Year 2020
https://www.swellnet.com/forums/wax/308481?page=1
Just some thoughts....Well...it's their environment and we put ourselves in it. In our mania or polished arrogance or even mindlessness to control and 'own' everything every opportunity has a risk. As we denude sea-creature predators live-on, in their living environment we become alternative food. Animals doing what they normally would do were we not in their sight isn't being 'rogue'...however animals/mammals driven to rage/frustration by us may seem to be taking revenge when only guarding their territory and food source.
Sharks are also scavengers and we make convenient scavenging, Looking at the great array of data and information (thank you for it) I wonder how many unrecorded attacks have occurred....on boat-people, native swimmers, on suicides, on 'missing persons, on criminals or innocent people 'euthanased' by our land based psychopaths and dumped 'offshore'.. How many .would-be-illegal immigrants deceased during their smuggling and tossed overboard. (happened in Australia several times from Chinese vessels in the 1950's some of the bodies afloat in Sydney Harbour).Some of those all might drift in to our coastline.
How many sheep aircraft crash victims and pirate victims tossed overboard when dying on transporters might represent a human life saved....?
The figures only record official numbers. They could be spot-on, a little out or a long way out.
Qld Govt lose GBR drum line appeal. (see 2019 Qld review above)
Tourism & Oz wide media light up!
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-18/shark-attack-drum-lines-great-bar...
Qld seek Feds to redraft laws...Feds say this may take some time!
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6394079/govt-open-to-law-change-t...
23rd Sept 2019- LNP pledge $15m /3yrs for GBR smart Drum Lines.
LNP argue that Court never asked Govt to remove Drum lines only attend to them.
Govt argue Trials prove dangerous & costly $100k/day for GBR
http://statements.qld.gov.au/Statement/2019/9/23/opposition-shark-plan-c...
Pressure is on for Qld Govt to instigate a temporary non harm shark deterrent.
jeezus that bloke at seal rocks was lucky yesterday...bite on board looks to be much bigger than a juvenile .
For the love of all things holy, post a link Udo
TV news is where i saw it..
Cannot see has it would have missed him, classic standard bite area of his board, great he didn't get harmed.
https://www.nbnnews.com.au/2019/10/06/teenager-tells-of-close-call-near-...
Another pic
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=DTWEB_WRE...
Plenty of drone footage of them swimming around in the shorebreak at Tuncurry of late.
Grey suit from a Seals beach last month -
Very lucky, big bite!
Excuse tbb's really bad CSR eye condition but is that a femlin staring down the shark?
Reckon us blokes need to toughen up a bit..."How tough we talkin'" Super Macho!
https://au.news.yahoo.com/tiger-shark-trophy-photo-sparks-heated-debate-...
Ok! Maybe some Qldurr shark wrestling...
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4479752/Man-attempts-lasso-shar...
2019 Qld Shark Attacks are now one per month with 12 this year.
Qld's spate of record Shark Attacks number 17 since Sept/2018.
Note : Qld govt recorded 36 attacks from 1916-1962.
Less than one/year...attacks have steadily increased to one/month...
see: Exclusive swellnet Shark Exhibit ...
"2019 Qld Shark / Cetacean Timeline" (above)...
(Shocking Qld shark story).
Tough Qld Shark gobbles down a spear gun...
https://www.trackingsharks.com/bull-shark-attacks-slow-motion/
well another lucky punter....
Public Shark Report: NSW - MID NORTH COAST - Gallows - COFFS HARBOUR. 07:08, 01 Jan 20.
A bump and bite on board from below while male surfer was sitting on his board. No injuries sustained. The incident occurred at Gallows Northern Point near rock face. Beachgoers entering the water are being advised
How’s this footage of a Great white cruising near a few surfers in South Africa. Water clarity looks good but it’s amazing how close it can get without anyone noticing. Lucky it wasn’t in hunt mode.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-06-25/giant-shark-stalks-unsuspecting-s...
Sharks are terrifying.
But do some research, the animals most likely to kill you in Oz are horses, cows, donkeys and domestic dogs.
We should all be more fearful of the drive to the beach which is far more likely to kill us than anything lurking in the water. But the danger of cars pales into insignificance compared to the danger of the fatty foods in the takeaway joint we visit afterwards
So true Vince, the biggest killers are inside us & feed from our own hand.
Viruses / Insect bites / Humans / Dogs...they all share our homes & sleeping quarters.
Yet all cultures past & present respect Sharks as our most fierce God Like predator.
tbb has been studying sharks & will soon share many discoveries here with swellnet.
Decoding First Nation/s practices unlocks the seasonal 'chemistry' of shark science.
Winter 2020 Shark Paper dedicated to Rob Pedretti.
Respect & credits to First Nation & equally to researchers in the field.
Part (1) The Self Regenerating Shark {#1 swellnet exclusive}
Sharks evolved around 450m years ago so what natural link keeps the Shark as is!
Surely our Coastline is developed & Seas are fished out...yet Shark still exists.
Researchers uncovered East Coast birthing & Nursing grounds.
Birthing in Cosy Inlet & Nursing in Port Stephens.
https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/2027804/great-white-shark-nurse...
Researchers ask why there & why certain times of the year & so close to shore?
Blue Green Algae Charophyte is also ancient 450m - 600m years old
It can't take hold in Rivers, Ports or Bays. (Due to Depth & Shipping)
South Facing beaches (Mostly) can tide the Algae to Shallow(1-3m) brackish Lakes.
Both Cosy Inlet & Myall Lakes are perfect hosts for this ancient shallow sea crop.
1st Nation sing of Animal / Plant seasonal Calendars.
May Rains bring the Black Swans to mate in said lake/s (Naturally lose flight feathers).
Swans feed on an ancient Algae called Charophyte ...(8 such lakes exist thru NSW)
Charophyte is the oldest known plant & self regenerates from own m/f fertilisation.
Charophyte comes in many forms from fresh to salt water.(Salt is a new science!)
Myall Lakes / Cosy Inlet (1m depth) fuel optimum regenerative properties for Sharks.
Charophytes convert Ammonia / Phosphates / Nitrates into Calcium Carbonate.
Ancient Slime self converting to Plant then into calcium whorl husks.
Something from nothing...both blue print + ink cartridge for a life giving 3d Printer.
This is why the scientists are onto it of late! Super this & super that!
Port Stephens
Cedar was logged + Sand Mining in 1960's ended soon in Early '70's (Now skiing)
There has been a concerning freshening of water due to since '60's clearing & run off
Sea-rise threat is tricky due to changing (6hr) river mouth feed. (Fresh/Salt Balance)
Reports say that Charophytes are increasing. (Depth & species is key to survival.)
This is dangerous as Council may advocate to clear a little bit more won't hurt?
We could be counting more / less Charophytes that kill off Sharks (Needs Sea Study!)
Regeneration Process...
The Black Swan slurps primordial soup to regenerate flight feathers.
Beneath the Swans the Ghost Prawns (Yabbies) Love the stuff & chow it down.
Crabs also eat the Charophytes & all can regrow their shells & claws. (Coincidence?)
Both present as large populations in this part of the world due to Algae
Important to note that each species requires differing staged Algal nutrients & levels.
Meaning each marine species gets their dose in yearly calendar of Algal Bloom.
1st Nation/s
(fisher women)>Tied hair tight around Left little finger to slowly dismember the tip.
This made for a better Hand Reel & finger tip was gifted to the sea to return fish.
Not as a bloody event...on contrary no cuts or blood were to interfere with the sea.
Other clans chewed the Shells & spat them out as Burley again seeing return fish.
Dream Stories of Sharks carving Riverways with Toothed Pandanus lining the banks.
Oz wide saltwater knew that the God Like Shark & Fish rejuvenate Teeth & Bones.
American Indians likewise by 'law' returned Salmon Bones to the River or Sea.
They too speak of legends as part of Human compliance in Fish stock rejuvenation...
Today's Salmon Farmers feed Salmon (Fish Bones).
On land...regeneration
Breast & Formula Milk carries Phenylalanine ( Grows Kids 2nd/3rd Teeth max)
Snake Skin / Spider legs / Lizard Tails /Antlers regrow, a lesser regeneration process.
All have a DNA predisposition but are nothing without the base element supply line.
Regenerative animals are far reaching but all agree marinelife is more complete.
The point being Port Stephens regenerative Nursery is perfectly suited to GWS DNA.
Here the Salmon eat the Ghost Shrimp & gain ability to regrow muscle, flesh & scales
Sponges / Jellies / Starfish / Stingrays prey on Shrimp & regrow whole or appendages.
The Turtles feast on Jellyfish & then regrow shells.
GWS devours Rays / Salmon / Turtles skyrocketing the regeneration effect.
November feeding frenzy when Charophyte is richest & Ghost Shrimp end year cycle.
Sharks peak at Nov @ Port Stephens as rains soon come and flood the super Algae.
Same time the Black Swans have regrown their wings to fly off (Thanks for the Soup!)
Charophytes die off & no sooner the Sharks are gone.(Thanx for all the Trippy fish!)
This becomes a Port Stephens calendar event in prime Saltwater Tradition.
Furthermore there seems to be an evening aspect to this seasonal event.
Local Saltwater women were great surfers even fished by night with fire on canoes!
They were too scared to venture near Fame Cove at night...
GWS Sharks see 10x better in the dark than us to trap prey in this shallow reach.
Could be that this prey is the reason behind that night vision.
We know this is additional to daytime (1hr) Back of the High Tide beach sweeps.
Master Navigators are the Jelly Fish...(No Joke!) Clear maze run in pitch black ocean.
Harvested by next best navigators Turtles / Salmon
GWS then devours the world's best navigators to enable ocean xings! (All too easy!)
As said the regenerative effect is richest in this Port Stephens Shark Nursery!
The Shark is optimising the most nutritious bounty for self rejuvenating preservation.
Here, GWS can choose any nutrient rich rejuvenation treatment to suit their needs.
Almost as if they are physicians tinkering in their own garden of eden.
Age old natural process is near free from Human interference but for how long.
This very much unofficial discovery opens up vulnerabilities in Sharks preservation.
Mystical seafood chain at least helps us better understand the nature of the beast.
Let's face it, should seafood chain break down, no DNA alone can sort it!
Up until now Mining & Shipping retreated from local shallows & preserved the Shark.
Ramsar lakes are Large but shallow & as such don't require much fill from Seachange.
Today's agenda sees that anything is now up for grabs....
If findings are correct then decimation of one lake can wipe out 450m years of life.
There were a few ancient mysteries in Part one & more weird Sharky stuff to come.
PS: Aforementioned thanx...saves space - Feel free to ask for credits
Footnote...
WA Nursery ?
WA once teamed with 30,000 Sharks.
Saltwater recorded some inshore Juvenile schools.
Freemantle (Swan River Mouth)
Albany (King George Sound / Oyster Bay)
Shark Birthing (Other Species)
Bull Sharks Swim & birth inside River Mouths (Summer)> pups swim upstream.
May/June Winter Winds drive Mullet out to sea to spawn & Bull Sharks follow.
Tiger Sharks birth off Drop Offs > all year round
Winter 2020 Shark Paper (cont...)
Part (2) Nature of the Beast...{#1 swellnet exclusive}
This Paper examines our challenging relationship with Sharks.
Freelance Paper seeks out the mystery surrounding the Shark.
Stats only appear selectively to address each discovery as it unfolds.
This is not an A-Z Shark Encyclopedia of common known traits.(As good as that is!)
Sharks are Dreamtime Totems that shape Rivers..(See part 1..Oz wide belief)
Humans were long sacrificed to Shark Gods (Tied to Stakes or thrown from Ships)
Pacific Nations respect Shark above all else.(Also recognise Sharks as companions!)
Pacific whole (Not WA) rule was that all could fish & swim with Dolphin & Shark.
Rules were simple: No harming the creatures & Share the Bounty.
Still today some Islanders swim freely amongst local inshore Sharks.
Pacific Peoples repeat stories of being stranded...signalling for Sharks assistance.
Islanders detail surfing Reef sharks to shore, towing canoe or solo.
GWS & Larger Ocean Sharks were feared & respect was given.
1st Nation Seasonal flora & Fauna forewarned Sharks arrival...(Breeding / Birthing)
Shark deterrents consisted of Blanched Acacia Birch Belt. (A Spiked Chem Shield)
Bubbles, Dead Skin, Wounds, Toes (Fungi), Varicose veins attract fish > Sharks
Beach Trumpet Flower vine uncoils from neck as a trailing distraction.
This proves that Sharks were forever present inshore & encounters were the norm.
WA clans avoided Canoes or swimming due to much larger populations of the Day.
Mystic Men with Shark like Crystal Prisms would predict & track Sharks across Bays.
Dolphin
SEQ / NE-NSW / NW-WA / SW-WA + South America / Africa (Live with Dolphin)
Locals sing Dolphin ashore for Shark deterrent duty. (Usually forming a Rainbow Arc)
Women (Sirens) being the operative ( Communicate across sea surface to Dolphin)
Said to be from a High Point...(Dolphins responding to mothers Headland song)
Children would bodysurf & only after leaving would Dolphins vacate the swim zone.
Shark vs Animals
Sharks will attack a lone large creature but clear away from certain pairs or predators.
Sharks are fearful of pairs that flip to locate organs to injure...(Orca, Dolphin, Dogs)
Shark will pluck a small dog from shore but be driven out by 2 or more dogs of size.
A surfline of Dolphins + Dogs in shallows, makes a formidable Shark Deterrent.
Dolphin & Fishing
Locals Tap Spears (WA Clang smooth pebbles) in water for Dolphin Fish drives.
Names would be given to Dolphins & signals returned...(Here's a modern example)
Clan's Dogs worked in with Dolphins like (Dogs & Horses) in stock drives.
Dogs have above/underwater smell & signal out schools, cadavers, sharks.
One can't rule out a Canine-Dolphin communication bond (Above / Below water)
Less so text, but early 'Sketches' involve Dogs exhibiting central fishing roles.
Dolphin still return to many of these beaches for hand feeding & dogs will greet them.
NE/NSW Story of a dolphin being killed breaking this bond > Dolphins stay offshore!
Sharks on Land
New Born / Juvenile Sharks will swim up river to avoid becoming prey.
Here alongside fish they scan the shoreline for movement.
Sharks have the added ability to bob up to 360* periscope the shoreline.
This enables Sharks to sense breeze to smell bait & shore birds
Small pets or Penguin & Seals are not safe on waters edge...
Communication
Shark Schools contact closely by Inflating Bodies, Back Arch, Jaw Gape, Head Shake.
This limits their distant pack like communication as to (Howling Dogs & Whale Song)
However Shark's eyesight is surprisingly accurate to 100's metres above the water.
This most telling video reveals a profound human-like thought process by the Shark.
From out at sea a lone Shark tracks down some lone beachgoers...(That's amazing!)
GWS then swims onto the beach at their feet instructing the Humans! (To do What?)
GWS is motioning the Humans to remove the painfully annoying tag in it's back.
What's more amazing is the Woman on the beach picks up on the Shark's request.
Shark first models the Tag, then gets pissed off & thrashes water over the crowd.
Flip this, and GWS harass & circle similar small (Tag-like craft) as if by vengeance.
Note: Scientists wish to tag every Shark & Govt every citizen.(Neither like it one bit!)
Sharks know who hurt them & what they look like & where they live...Go get them!
Shark / Human inshore interaction is less of attack nature, more for removal of hooks.
Recent alarming growing trend is where Sharks swim up to people begging for help.
YouTube viewers were saying to stop hurting them...but Sharks want the hooks out.
These are not Hero vidz...these are concerned beach folk trying to save Sharks!
Oddly the crowded inshore Shark Gatherings rarely lead to an attack.
Marovo & Port Stephens harbour sharks swimming close to people with less incident.
{r.i.p} To all shark victims of other beaches.
Flying Sharks
Sharks will locate beneath Bat roosts or Birds Nests, leaping to pluck prey from trees.
Rivers are filled with sharks practising aerobatics & for good reason.
Leaping clear from water along migration routes to pluck birds in flight.
Stingrays & fin fish are also plucked from great height at the slow point in flight.
Sharks time flight to perfection when stealing the prize catch from fishermen's rods.
Sharks are also called by humans by way of thrushing a rattle of Husks or shells.
Exception to the rule was that Some Sharks were lured in as sacrifice to feed Village.
Today Divers will use Plastic Scrunchy Bottles to draw a Shark in!
Wild Sharks too will befriend and nudge or cuddle divers for an extra fish or pat.
These sharks do befriend divers & miss them then show affection upon return.
As with hooked beached sharks, will also swim to divers seeking assist. (Common!)
Sea Park Sharks are trained (3 months) to relocate & feed by Sound & Coloured discs.
Recent lockdowns saw Marine Park critters get depressed when crowds disappeared.
Parks employed more divers to keep Sharks / Gropers company even the small fish.
https://www.sportdiver.com/aquarium-hires-diver-to-cuddle-with-lonely-fi...
Surfers & Ocean swimmers.
Experiment: Throw a slice of bread or placebo into a Lake. Fish just dart to it!
Even a Jellyfish harbours an ocean township of sorts.
https://resize.hswstatic.com/w_640/gif/now-dd0fb714-4c24-4b5a-81fd-e4604...
Anybody can become a Sheltered Raft which harbours an instant colony of sea-life.
Sea lice & Sea Weed then Boardriders notice Bait Fish accumulating underneath.
Distance Swimmers will grow similar ecosystems crossing the Bay.
The ocean is fast, if you sit still or slow up long enough, then expect friends.
Shark glides out of the waves & boardrider is shadowed by fishy friends.
Underside resembles 4-6ft Marlin, Trevally, Threadfin, Dollies, Mackeral, Snapper.
Surfboard size/shape prey + exact underside Fins with Legs flicking as a Forked tail.
Reckon any Shark chasing & blinded by the Baitfish would have a go at that!
Waves swashing swimmer's arms, add bubbles and it's a Seal, Eagle Ray or Penguin.
https://c8.alamy.com/comp/PFY26Y/two-spotted-eagle-rays-aetobatus-narina...
Climate Change (Qld/NSW)
Seas are rising 3mm/yr & Weather is moving environments south from the Equator.
Southbound- Tropics 11km-yr , Cyclones-5.6km/yr, GBR-5.7km/yr
Sealife is extending south into Northern NSW Narrow Coastline.
Plankton (10km/yr)-Whale Sharks + Jellyfish -Turtles + new N/NSW Whale Nursery.
Whales & Turtles are Shark Food & Human population is moving to northern NSW .
Baitfish hang offshore in Feb/March ( Rain-North upwelling ) Creeks > April - July.
GWS numbers are down 92%
Hammer Head numbers are down by 92%
Whaler Shark numbers are down by 82%
Tiger Shark numbers are down 74%
PS: WA (Example) Baitfish have also moved south from Perth to Geographe Bay.
Humans are changing the Shark's inshore World at an alarming rate in Part (3)
Winter 2020 Shark Paper (final)
Part (3) Reeling in the Shark...{#1 swellnet exclusive}
By decreasing Shark Habitat & increasing ours, we now live with the Shark
Saltwater fish-traps re-contoured Creeks, Rivers & Headlands for selective species.
There is no doubt these Rocky Fish baskets attracted Sharks & Dolphin.
Some Headlands harbour many traps of size & depth to further alter wave dynamic.
Convicts denuded river banks & also surfed rafted much timber to the Wharves.
Decaying Timber & Broken Rafts actually attract wildlife from here to foreign lands.
The silting did close some creek mouths temporarily isolating the estuary.
Late 1800's News records upriver Dolphin 100kms & Sharks 150kms +( Large 6ft+)
Drainage Canals were dug + Navigation dredged to tide with rock walled seaways.
Now inviting many sea creatures in to pool a larger shared resource.
Far reaching canals suit Dolphins & Sharks > (15km dead zones needed locks)
Canal Dredging attracts Fish then also perfect large homes for larger Bull Sharks.
Dolphins & whales generally dislike dredging silt & need cleaner water.
Rockwalls grow Sea moss/weed & attract Turtles & the Bull Sharks to River Mouths.
Population required fresh water, building Weirs blocked upper fresh/Salt water lines.
The dolphin & Sharks seasonal Hot Summer upriver foraging was now off limits.
Only fish & the 'occasional' small Shark can luck upstream & only during a large Flood.
Hearty Dolphins swim far upstream with increased salty Droughts as far as the Weirs.
These Weirs are lines in the sand (Human World < || > Sea creature World)
By our own hand we direct Marine Activity back down to the recreational estuaries.
Juvenile Bull Sharks camp at Weirs -100% reliant on Dam over-spills to get a feed.
Up river is now just a dormant mostly lifeless over size Seaworld Aquarium.
Mid stream Abattoirs, Turf Farms, Ovals down to Golf Links, Sewerage & Airports.
All pump out Phosphates / Nitrates. A Nutrient Burley that attracts Bull Sharks.
Too much & the Fish & Prawns die! (re: Court Cases)
River pollution banks the Urban side of the bay then Rain floods it out the Seaway.
This is when the Seaway Turtles chew down on the plastics.
Outbound Tides utilise wider Ocean sprawl to join Seaway Ocean Outfalls into EAC.
Dredging of River Mouths & Surf banks...
Beachgoers are now fearful of nutrient rich pungent Sand attracting Bull Sharks.
Offshore dredging (Banned in NSW) also attracts Bull / Tiger Sharks but rids Whales.
Recent offshore Blu Sky Mining Rainbow Dredging left Super Massive vast Quarries.
This robs Coastline of Sand revealing past Wrecks & Surf Reefs.(More Turtles/Sharks)
For safety, beaches are now closing during Offshore & Mouth dredging operations.
Desal Pipes attract & Trap Fish + Outfall is Concentrated Saline over 18 Footy Fields.
Sharks love it & have been seen in the area & also inshore at Tugun surf zone!
Why is Govt luring more Game Fish to our surf Beaches?
Fishermen Vote & pay car/trailer/boat rego & Govt gives them anything they want.
Estuary / Beaches are now game fishing, with Sturdy craft & Reels with Burley / Bait.
Dumping of Ships in Moreton Bay
Tangalooma - 15 wrecks. ( All buzz-sawed down to size) Marine Debris Hazard!
Govt now mine Moreton Bay + Coastline with FADs (Fish Aggregating Devices)
44 Moreton Bay Marine Park & Ocean side FADs (Each designed for Trophy Fish)
Some just 2kms from Swim Beaches.
https://parks.des.qld.gov.au/parks/moreton-bay/zoning/trial_artificial_r...
Tweed 1.5km Offshore Reef (Dreamtime Beach Fingal)...is in the wings...
https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/recreational/resources/artificial-ree...
No idea why Govt declares a Marine Park then dumps Ghastly shit all through it!
New & planned diver Reefs look exactly like Marine debris & they also count as FADs
Better include all local failed Surf Reefs along with that...Big GWS lives there!
Swimming Shark Nets.
Past Swim enclosures were staked out at River piers or Jetties.
Bay / Broadwater has several "netted" & tidal Swim enclosures.
All have had Sharks / Dolphins / Dangerous Fish trapped within.
Baited Shark Nets & Baited Drum Lines stretch at intervals along the Coastline
SEQ-160 baited Drums + 25 baited nets. N-WSR say No (vs) GC-WSR/WSL say Yes.
N/NSW (2016 Trial 25 baited Drum lines + 5 baited nets) NSW NSR are undecided.
35 baited drum lines Lennox to Evans Head.(Trial End mid 2020)
N/NSW has 6 Tagged Shark listening Stations (500m radius)
https://www.sharksmart.nsw.gov.au/technology-trials-and-research#:~:text....
Trolling... Latest fad is by Canoes or paddle craft.
Paddle craft are often chomped at in Rivers but also Creek Mouths.
Now with half a bison on each lure paddle around inshore surf reefs luring Sharks.
There is no regulation on Trolling near Beaches or Surf Spots...(Dangerous)
Similar to Drones zip lining Game fish through main family beaches.
N/NSW Bait Collection Buoy (Looks as dangerous as it sounds)
Who comes up with these mad ideas...this is just insane.(Wins a vote?)
https://www.facebook.com/NSWDPIFisheries/photos/dpi-has-installed-a-bait...
Wave Buoys are also FADs
Qld -12 + NSW 12
SEQ 25 Offshore Summer Fads (From underside resembles a Surfboard +Leggie)
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcQDeI4h-umwoXCTR8...
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcS2mnvcDAqIL4cEsO...
https://www.qld.gov.au/recreation/activities/boating-fishing/rec-fishing...,(weighing%20up%20to%2040kg).
Tweed 5 Offshore Summer Fads (One missing?)
https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/recreational/resources/fish-aggregati...
Buoys are Yellow & surfboard fins & legs resemble 'Dollies' also (Yummy Yellow)
https://qph.fs.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-df8cf4045baa5c2d72dc6e4032de43d2.webp
Surveillance consists of a Host of Surf Cams + (SLSA Drones)
GCCC installed 37 Broadwater Safety Cameras (Not one for Sharks or Drowning)
All 37 cams zoom in on suss behaviour & record details then hand out fines..
Moreton Bay has 874 Safety cams, yet again (Not one for Sharks or Drowning)
Apparently quite a few are listening outposts...How does this save a swimmer?
Summary
Climate/Seachange has cornered us all into Central East Coast wiping each other out.
Govt mine every inch with 100's & 100's of Shark Baited treats & track only barcodes
First west winds & the mullet run to sea & Rain also drive sharks from creeks.
New Turtle breeding (Dec/Jan) > Bulls run & Whale Calving (May/June)> GWS
100's of E/C inshore pics of Sharks @ receding High Tide mark ...(Yet to see other...)
Tide change allows Sharks a deeper line as Fish well to the surface.
Swimmers & surfers trawl tiny bait fish, so rest but never camp too long on one spot.
FADs are mostly just shade / Photo shows we're either 0m or 2m away from a Shark
http://www.sustunable.com/images/FADs_small.jpg
Unravelling Sharky tales is one thing, getting all on board is how we'll jump the Shark.
Winter 2020 Shark Paper is dedicated to Rob & other Shark Victims.
Big thanks to swellnet & the crew for your time!
Didn’t even know this had happened….
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-23/wa-reports-of-shark-attack-north-...
Yeah I heard it on the radio over here the same day it happened Blowin. GW ?
https://thewest.com.au/news/sharks/leeman-shark-attack-brodie-paino-desc...
If it was a GWS he's a lucky bloke...minor injury
https://www.news.com.au/technology/science/animals/shark-that-attacked-s...
This reminds me of the time i was surfing by myself at Jakes point and started getting a spooky feeling like i could sense a shark.So i paddled out a bit further and sure enough there were a group of tiger sharks trying to sneak up on me. So i grabbed the biggest one by the tail and dragged it into the beach.
I new i had to gut it so i ripped out its guts and put some lemons and garlic in its guts.
I needed to line up five bbq's next to each other to cook the beast. Tasted good but.