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The Guardian
26-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Queensland's shark control plan facing court challenge and federal intervention, experts say
The expansion of Queensland's lethal shark control program will be challenged in court – should it escape a looming entanglement with federal laws – according to marine scientists and policy experts. The Queensland government announced plans to pump $88m over four years into the state's shark management plan, which would see shark nets and baited drumlines rolled out at more beaches, as well as the expanded use of non-lethal technology such as drone surveillance. The Crissafuli government announced its plan was one that 'prioritised beach goers' safety' which it said was 'put at risk' by the previous government to 'appease radical agendas'. 'It's clear the program had lost its way under previous Labor governments who failed to act and put people after the demands of environmental activists,' primary industries minister Tony Perrett said in a statement. But Humane World for Animals marine biologist Lawrence Chlebeck said the LNP was 'simply playing politics' with a highly emotive issue, describing their shark policy as a 'thinly veiled ruse' to appear supportive of the fishing industry by picking a legal fight 'they know they'll lose'. Many commercial anglers are clamouring for more sharks to be culled amid rising rates of depredation of their catch. Chlebeck confirmed HWA was already looking into a legal challenge – but federal intervention could mean that it 'may not even come to that'. As well as catching and culling target sharks, Queensland's shark nets and drumlines kill, injure and entangle non-target species. Chlebeck said public data showed that last year 1,639 animals were caught in the program – fewer than half of which were targeted sharks – including 22 whales and dolphins, 37 turtles and 46 rays. More than 980 animals were killed. Queensland's shark control program has been running since 1962 and is grandfathered into the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, designed to protect threatened species. But Chlebeck said that exemption comes with a clause that the shark control program be assessed if it is expanded and shown to have a significant impact on threatened species 'The catch of protected species like whales and dolphins, the catch of threatened species like marine turtles and a number of shark species, including the critically endangered grey nurse, that could and most likely will open it up to review under the EPBC Act,' he said. 'The Queensland state government, they know all of this, so if they really want to push forward with these plans, they're going to come into conflict with the federal government and the new federal environment minister – which may or may not have been their plan all along.' But Chlebeck said the state's 'bluster' would end up 'opening up their own program to a scrutiny it has never before faced'. And the marine biologist has form when it comes to lethal shark control in Queensland. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion In 2019 the then Humane Society International had the state's plans for the lethal use of nets and drumlines in the Great Barrier Reef quashed by the federal court of Australia, with a judge ruling the scientific evidence presented was 'overwhelming' that the program's culling of sharks did 'not reduce the risk of unprovoked shark interactions'. University of Sydney associate professor of public policy and expert in the politics of shark attacks, Chris Pepin-Neff, agreed the Queensland government's announcement was more about taking culture wars to the open water than implementing evidence-backed policy. 'I think there's no doubt that the Queensland government believes that this is kind of a war on woke,' Pepin-Neff said. 'This is definitely a tough-on-sharks kind of policy decision and it includes killing sharks – and making sure everyone knows that they're killing sharks – as a way to provide political cover.' 'There's no real way to interpret this other than that the politicians have decided that they are going to win elections by killing sharks'. A spokesperson for the federal environment department confirmed the Queensland shark control program was exempt from the EPBC Act 'in its current form … as it was in operation prior to commencement of the act'. 'It is the responsibility of the Queensland Government to ensure any changes to its program are still covered by the exemption and refer any action that requires an approval under the EPBC Act,' the spokesperson said. The state government was contacted for comment.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Yahoo
Tourists divided after ‘one in a million' great white shark encounter in 'very rare' spot
Video footage of a great white shark at a popular tourist diving spot has been described as 'very rare' by experts. The five-metre female was spotted in waters off the Balinese island of Penida last week, with the tourists who witnessed it telling Yahoo News they feared for their lives during the 20-second face-off. Local divers say it was a 'one in a million' encounter as it's only the second time they recall a great white has been spotted in the area. The first sighting occurred in 2019. White sharks are extremely migratory and known to travel long distances, with one recorded making a 20,000km roundtrip from Australia to South Africa in under nine months in the early 2000s. Marine biologist Lawrence Chlebeck explained the sighting was 'unusual' but 'not unexpected'. 'It's definitely something that can happen, but sighting one in Bali is definitely a once in a lifetime experience,' he told Yahoo News. 'We know white sharks prefer temperate, cooler, more productive waters where they find their primary food sources. But every so often they pop up in these tropical spots, there's even been great white sightings in Hawaii. So they do tend to go on a holiday to some of these tropical islands sometimes.' Diving instructors from the group that encountered the shark told Yahoo News they'd never seen one before. Fabian Clinton, the Swedish adventurer who filmed the face-off, said it was the 'craziest experience' of his career. The dive was organised by Scuba Junkie Penida which told Yahoo there has been 'quite a lot of like talk' about the great white sighting. Because they can travel so far, it's believed to have likely left the area for good. 🌕 Incredible event 'triggered by full moon' off coast 😳 Australia faces 'big problem' as US tourist who snatched baby wombat flees 🗑️ Beachgoers asked to 'think twice' after devastating find in 25kg of rubbish 'There's been a very split reaction from anyone who has read about it. Some people think they were so lucky, it was a once in a lifetime experience. But others simply say they're so glad they weren't on that trip, they would have feared for their lives,' Amelia from the dive company said. 'We were talking about the statistics about this — it's a one in a million type thing. If you think about the number of dive centres that we have on the island, and the number of dive centres in Bali, each doing at least two dives a day, and then times that by 365 days of the year. That's a lot of dives. And this is the first great white we've seen in six years.' Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
