Shark News - Drum lines removed from WA waters

At 2pm yesterday, the Western Australian Government removed the drumlines which had been set to catch target sharks off the coast of WA, Australia. Whilst this news will be warmly welcomed by the majority of the public - who overwhelmingly oppose the shark cull - there is a chance that the drumlines could be back in the water by the end of the year.

The initial policy to place drumlines in the water around Perth had always been a short term policy set to run for 13 and a half weeks the intended deadline for the removal of the drumlines set as 30th April. By negotiating the placement of the drumlines on a short term, "trial" basis, Colin Barnett was able to circumnavigate some of the laws which would otherwise prevent such a policy going ahead - such as the fact that the great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) is a protect species in Australian waters.

Currently the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is assessing an application by the Barnett Government to extend the drumline policy for a further 3 years. The new submission to the EPA requests permission to put drumlines in the water for 4 and a half months of each year for 3 years and is requested to begin on November 15th 2014. Since the new proposal is for a much longer time period than the initial setting of the drum lines, the EPA has decreed that the policy must be subjected to the highest level of assessment.

Given a very strong public and scientific objection to the drumline policy, the hope is that the EPA will not allow the Barnett Government to continue with this policy long term.

You can read more about the assessment here