Can you kill sharks in Australia?
In Australia, most sharks can be legally caught by commercial and recreational fishers. However, due to declines in numbers, a handful of species are now listed as ‘threatened’ under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
Is shark culling legal in Australia?
Live shark finning, the practice of cutting the fins from live sharks and dumping the body, is illegal in all jurisdictions in Australia, thanks largely to AMCS campaigning with ocean lovers around the country.
Is shark culling legal in WA?
Australia’s Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt granted the WA Government a temporary exemption from national environment laws protecting great white sharks, to allow the otherwise illegal acts of harming or killing the species.
Is shark culling effective?
Academic research shows shark culling is ineffective, and human-shark interactions can still take place at beaches with nets and drumlines in Australia. We can keep people safe in the ocean without culling sharks, by embracing non-lethal technologies such as drone surveillance, personal shark deterrents and education.
How can shark finning be stopped?
Since 2006 Shark Stewards has been a leader in the United States reducing the shark fin trade by applying trade data to legislation banning the sale and trade of shark fin.
Are great white sharks protected in Australia?
The Great White Shark was declared a protected species in 1996 by the NSW Government. In 1999 their threatened species status was elevated to “Vulnerable” to extinction. Being a protected species means that it is now illegal to harm or have a significant impact on White Sharks in Australian waters.
How can Shark Finning be stopped?
Why are there so many sharks in WA?
More sharks are drawn close to WA shores where the whale prey has become plentiful, and it has been decades since so many were swimming off the beaches of Western Australia.
Why sharks should not be culled?
Shark culling also kills innocent turtles and dolphins Shark culling is ineffective and the shark responsible for the attacks is not always among the ones killed. Instead, other marine animals like seals, turtles and dolphins can get caught on the hooks, resulting in their death or serious injury.
Do shark barriers work?
Shark nets are most effective at reducing the abundance of resident sharks as these sharks have a higher chance of encountering the net over time. They do not prevent sharks from entering or leaving the beach; they operate by entangling sharks that swim into them by chance.
Why we shouldn’t protect sharks?
Consuming sharks will increase the level of mercury you ingest which will in turn increase your risk of neurological disorders, autism, infertility, Coronary heart disease or even death. Sharks regulate the behaviour of prey species, and prevent them from over-grazing vital habitats.