When I used to tell people that I did my PhD on the politics of shark attacks, they would ask, “Is there a politics to shark attacks?” Nobody asks that any more. Now they just say, “Oh, like in Western…
The shark cull that ran for three months off Perth and the Southwest now looks certain to be ended.
AAP Image/Sea Shepherd
Western Australia’s controversial shark drum line policy will come to an end, after the state’s Environmental Protection Agency recommended that it not be continued this summer. WA EPA chairman Paul Vogel…
Tiger shark entangled in WA’s lethal drum lines.
Neil Henderson
Western Australia’s shark cull has gained international media coverage and is in the news again today – but why are hundreds of scientists worldwide so concerned that we’re now speaking out? 301 marine…
The plan to use baited traps to catch and kill sharks off the coast of Western Australia caused considerable controversy when it was announced last year, with critics calling the shark cull ineffective…
Cattle drovers have won back the right to graze livestock in the Australian Alps - against scientists’ advice.
AAP Image/Bob Richardson
From reef dredging, to shark culling, to opening old-growth forests to logging, environmental policies are leaving Australia’s wildlife exposed to threats. The reason, we propose, is that society and government…
A 2.6 m tiger shark entangled in a WA drum line. It was officially released alive - whether it survived is another matter.
Neil Henderson/supplied
As Western Australia’s Environmental Protection Authority and the federal environment minister Greg Hunt mull the question of whether to let the state government resume its controversial shark cull next…
Perhaps predictably, the Western Australian government has claimed that its shark drum line season, which ended last week, was a success. In a media statement, fisheries minister Ken Baston said that “172…
Wave of protest: surfers were among thousands who rallied at Cottesloe Beach against the Barnett government’s shark cull.
AAP Image/Theron Kirkman
The end of April marks the end of Western Australia’s shark cull – for now at least. Since January 25, dozens of sharks (the WA government has not yet released official figures) have been killed off popular…
The Largetooth Sawfish is one of the world’s largest fishes, growing to more than 6 metres.
Miguel Clavero
Sharks and rays are some of the world’s most threatened animals, with a quarter of all species at risk of extinction. Among the sharks and rays, sawfish are some of the most threatened, with all five species…
Nice to see you. To see you nice.
Hermanus Backpackers
In the wake of controversy surrounding the shark cull in Western Australia, it is a pleasant change to hear some positive attention being given to the great white shark known as Lydia who has been tracked…
A great white shark is headed in the UK’s direction, but even better than that – according to the pundits it’s a great white mummy, in the family way. In fact the scientific value of this observation doesn’t…
Western Australia’s shark kills follow decades of similar policy in Queensland.
AAP Image/Sea Shepherd
One of the most common justifications for Western Australia’s shark cull is the longstanding use of baited hooks - or drum lines - in regions such as Queensland. Two key questions need answering. First…
On the hook: the WA government is targeting white sharks.
Flickr/kqedquest
An unprecedented cluster of white shark bite fatalities in Western Australia over the past decade has led the state government to enact a policy of culling large sharks in coastal waters off Perth and…
When it comes to sharks, it’s important we know size and species.
Scubaben/Flickr
Dozens of sharks have reportedly been caught since Western Australia’s “catch-and-kill” drum line program began two weeks ago. Firm numbers are not available given the WA government’s unwillingness to…
In response to seven fatal attacks in the last three years by what are believed great white sharks the government of Western Australia has decided to cull all sharks larger than 3m – a pretty barbaric…
We have heard a lot of about sharks recently. In particular Western Australia’s plan to cull threatened white sharks has stirred up plenty of protest from the community, and a frenzy of media coverage…
Shark bites on humans are best viewed as random acts of nature rather than deliberate attacks.
Mogens Trolle/www.shutterstock.com
The mathematics of shark bites look pretty simple: the more incidents, the worse the situation. That said, no amount of scientific explanation can fully address the tragedy of people being injured or killed…
Marine Biologist, South African National Parks (SANParks); Honorary Research Associate, South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB), South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity