Latest news with #Perrett
The Star
26-05-2025
- The Star
Shark control funding boost to increase beach safety in North-East Australia
SYDNEY: The government of Australia's north-eastern state of Queensland has announced a funding boost for its shark control programme to protect beachgoers from attacks, Xinhua reported. Tony Perrett, Queensland's minister for primary industries, said on Sunday (May 25) that the state government would invest an additional AU$88.2 million (US$57.3 million) into the Shark Control Management Plan for 2025-2029. He said in a statement that the 2025-2029 plan, which commences on July 1, will combine "proven safety measures" such as shark nets and drum lines with innovative technologies, including drone surveillance and whale deterrent measures. Hundreds of mesh shark nets are deployed around Australia to entangle sharks and keep them away from popular beaches, while drum lines use baited hooks to attract and capture sharks. "Today's announcement is big and bold. It puts swimmer safety first," Perrett said. "We're striking the right balance between ensuring swimmer safety and maintaining a healthy marine environment, as well as upholding Queensland's international tourism reputation as a safe place to enjoy some of the best beaches in the world," he said. The new funding announcement comes after two fatal shark attacks at Queensland beaches during the 2024-25 summer. A 40-year-old man died after being attacked by a shark while spearfishing off the central Queensland coast in December and a 17-year-old girl was killed in an attack north of Brisbane in February. - Bernama/Xinhua
Sydney Morning Herald
25-05-2025
- General
- Sydney Morning Herald
Qld to add lethal shark nets, drumlines to popular tourist beaches
The Queensland government is set to increase the number of shark deterrents at south-east Queensland and Bundaberg beaches, but the decision to use lethal methods that could be at odds with federal laws has attracted criticism. Queensland Primary Industries Minister Tony Perrett said on Sunday the $88.2 million boost to the shark management program over four years 'puts swimmers first', and was the largest funding increase in more than six decades. Perrett said the program would prioritise 'innovative technologies', including whale deterrents – steering the migrating mammals clear of the mesh shark nets – as well as research into local shark populations. 'This will be really valuable research that we do just to inform the number of sharks we have in our ocean and whether their behaviours are changing,' Perrett said. A dozen beaches have been considered for additional shark-deterrent measures, five of which would only see drone surveillance used. Seven of the earmarked beaches would use drumlines – anchored bait hooks designed to trap and hold sharks – shark nets, or, for three beaches on the Sunshine and Gold coasts, a mix of both. Beaches earmarked for shark-deterrent measures Drumlines: The Spit, Gold Coast Pacific Beach, Gold Coast Happy Valley, Sunshine Coast Coolum North, Sunshine Coast Peregian North, Sunshine Coast Elliott Heads, Bundaberg Moore Park, Bundaberg Nets: Pacific Beach, Gold Coast Coolum North, Sunshine Coast Peregian North, Sunshine Coast Drones: Rainbow Bay / Greenmount, Gold Coast Cylinder Beach, North Stradbroke Island Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast Tangalooma, Moreton Bay Elliott Heads and/or Moore Park, Bundaberg Agnes Waters Main Beach, Agnes Waters But animal welfare organisation Humane World for Animals criticised the decision, saying it could open Queensland's shark management program to federal scrutiny. Established in 1962, Queensland's program currently has an exemption from the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, introduced in 1999.
The Age
25-05-2025
- General
- The Age
Qld to add lethal shark nets, drumlines to popular tourist beaches
The Queensland government is set to increase the number of shark deterrents at south-east Queensland and Bundaberg beaches, but the decision to use lethal methods that could be at odds with federal laws has attracted criticism. Queensland Primary Industries Minister Tony Perrett said on Sunday the $88.2 million boost to the shark management program over four years 'puts swimmers first', and was the largest funding increase in more than six decades. Perrett said the program would prioritise 'innovative technologies', including whale deterrents – steering the migrating mammals clear of the mesh shark nets – as well as research into local shark populations. 'This will be really valuable research that we do just to inform the number of sharks we have in our ocean and whether their behaviours are changing,' Perrett said. A dozen beaches have been considered for additional shark-deterrent measures, five of which would only see drone surveillance used. Seven of the earmarked beaches would use drumlines – anchored bait hooks designed to trap and hold sharks – shark nets, or, for three beaches on the Sunshine and Gold coasts, a mix of both. Beaches earmarked for shark-deterrent measures Drumlines: The Spit, Gold Coast Pacific Beach, Gold Coast Happy Valley, Sunshine Coast Coolum North, Sunshine Coast Peregian North, Sunshine Coast Elliott Heads, Bundaberg Moore Park, Bundaberg Nets: Pacific Beach, Gold Coast Coolum North, Sunshine Coast Peregian North, Sunshine Coast Drones: Rainbow Bay / Greenmount, Gold Coast Cylinder Beach, North Stradbroke Island Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast Tangalooma, Moreton Bay Elliott Heads and/or Moore Park, Bundaberg Agnes Waters Main Beach, Agnes Waters But animal welfare organisation Humane World for Animals criticised the decision, saying it could open Queensland's shark management program to federal scrutiny. Established in 1962, Queensland's program currently has an exemption from the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, introduced in 1999.
Irish Independent
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Donegal's Odhran Doogan ‘over the moon' after clinching Rás yellow jersey as Will Perrett wins stage two
British rider Will Perrett won stage two into Clifden six seconds ahead of a small chasing group with Doogan third behind Josh Charlton of Great Britain and one place ahead of 2022 winner Daire Feeley (Burren Racing) on the stage,after the peloton shattered to pieces across the five categorised climbs. Overnight race leader Tim Shoreman missed the major move of the day and lost over two minutes, so having started the stage in third place overall, five seconds off Shoreman, Doogan takes over the yellow jersey of Rás leader. 'I'm over the moon. I couldn't be happier,' smiled the 21-year-old from Gortahork afterwards. 'It was a pretty messy day. It was hard to know who was still away, there were that many attacks and counter attacks all day. 'I definitely rode a bit too hard at the start. I looked down and there were still 100km to go, so I fell back through the bunch and kind of gathered myself and recovered. By the time I got back up the front there was actually quite a strong group gone, so I knew I was going to have to knuckle down and ride hard to get across. 'I was lucky enough to get away with a pretty strong group on a big stretch or road with about 20km to go. We caught them with about 10km to go and I thought I had a pretty good chance at the stage win. Unfortunately, I didn't win the stage but I maybe went one better taking the yellow.' Although the race is now in its 70th year, Doogan is the first Donegal rider to wear yellow. 'It's pretty special when you consider the riders that have come out of Donegal,' he says. 'I put in the effort to get the yellow so I'm going to try my best to hold onto it. But we're not even halfway through the Ras. It's so unpredictable that one minute you could be up the road, the next you could be out the back, but the main goal is try to keep it." In the finale of today's 171km stage, Perrett followed a late move by Skyline's Cian Keogh just after two groups merged at the front in the final kilometres. When Keogh blew up, Perrett had the legs to keep going and take the stage win. 'At the end, lots of people were giving it digs,' Perret said. 'Cian Keogh launched one and I went after him. I managed to get on his wheel and I came through just as we hit this hard drag at the end. 'I looked back and I had dropped him off the wheel because he had obviously gone really hard on the flat. I saw that I had a gap and I just committed for the final 3km and was off the front on my own. I'm really happy. This is my first win at the Rás. I'm a bit gutted to have crashed yesterday and lost about 40 seconds because I would have been in yellow today but I'm really happy to get the win.' While Doogan now hogs the yellow, green, and white jerseys of overall leader, points leader, and leading U-23 rider, Adam Lewis of USA Skyline managed to defend his Irish independent King of the Mountains jersey, taking second over the top of the last four climbs today and now has an 11-point cushion over nearest challenger Jamie Meehan of the Irish national team. 'There was a big fight over the five climbs today and I managed to pick up quite a few points and extend my lead,' said the British rider. 'Hopefully we can defend it now for the last three days of the race.' Stage three sees the riders tackle 163km from Cong to Miltown Malbay with three categorised climbs along the way.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Fisherman discovers century-old Great Lakes shipwreck
The step-grandson of a famous Great Lakes shipwreck finder recently made his own historic discovery in Wisconsin—the long-lost remains of a tugboat deemed one of the largest and most powerful of its era. But unlike many other vessels sailing in the region at the time, the story of the J.C. Ames ended with an intentionally fiery grand finale. Earlier in the month, Christopher Thuss went out angler fishing on the foggy waters of Lake Michigan about 43 miles south of Green Bay near Manitowoc. Thuss noticed his onboard sonar observing a sizable object nearby, and after steering towards the location, he saw a ship's remnants barely nine feet below the water's surface. After Thuss reported it to the state's historical society, the organization reached out to the Wisconsin Underwater Archeology Association and orchestrated a dive to check out the mystery wreck. Wisconsin Historical Society maritime archeologist Tamara Thomsen matched the decaying wood hull with archival records. After 102 years resting in the shallow waters, experts had rediscovered what's left of the J.C. Ames. Built in 1881 by the Rand and Burger shipbuilding company for $50,000, the 670-horsepower tug initially named the J.C. Perrett was at the time one of the largest of its kind in the Great Lakes. The vessel was initially commissioned to haul lumber, and managed as many as five barges' worth of timber at once. In 1889, a steambarge struck Perrett and damaged its stem, requiring extensive repairs. A subsequent overhaul of the ship's boilers along with new owners six years later resulted in a name change to the J.C. Ames. In addition to lumber, the Ames also hauled railroad barges between Peshtigo, Wisconsin, and Chicago, Illinois. The tug finally reached its retirement after over four decades of service. In 1923, the Ames set on its final voyage after being stripped of anything of value, including its replacement boilers and engine. As was customary at the time, the hull was towed out near the coast of Manitowoc and set aflame for onlookers to enjoy. It then sank a few feet to the bottom of Maritime Bay, where it has remained for over a century. While buried under sand for decades, it appears the lake currents only recently re-exposed the J.C. Ames. The hull portions currently sticking out from the sediment are only partially covered in quagga mussels—a destructive and invasive species of mollusks that have caused problems across the Great Lakes for the last 30 years. Quagga mussels can grow so dense on sunken aircraft and ship remains that they ultimately crush the surfaces beneath them. Discovering wrecks runs in Thuss' family. According to the Wisconsin Historical Society's announcement, the fisherman's step-grandmother is 'Shipwreck Suzze' Johnson. Johnson took up powered parachute and ultralight plane piloting after retirement, and made headlines for discovering three Lake Michigan shipwrecks in three days while flying over them in 2015.
