I was just watching one of the videos on Shark alarm. Its off Kalbarri and there are two bronze's hanging around whilst these guys seem to video and play with them. However at 1.20 it looks like you see a big chunk of food can be seen getting tossed in the water If that's the case look at how close these guys are to a wave (cranking wave too). I think that's bad form and a very big part of the problem

http://www.sharkalarm.com.au/news/71

7 news tonight has footage of two white pointers circling a boat off garden island, didn't look convincing though

Just found this on the Tracks website -

Why does everyone think a controlled cull of Great Whites is so wrong? Why does a GW have more right than a tuna? We kill thousands of them every week? I have lived and surfed all over the SW of WA and Perth region and I can tell you from personal experiece their numbers are increasing and they are getting "BIG". Time has come for a long hard look at the commercial fishing raping the ocean and a controlled cull of GW numbers. Here is a letter sent in 2011 - make up your own mind;

Dear Troy,

I am emailing you re my growing concern regarding the increasing shark incidents in our immediate waters and what many consider a total misconception of what the real situation is in our area..I have been surfing and diving in this area for over three decades and have not experienced anything like the current status..

Many believe the experts are ignorant to the facts... are probably not giving a true picture of the current situation.

My colleague pulled the unfortunate boogie boarder out of the water recently after her husband rescued the guy at Boneyards.(Bunker Bay)
The board rider sitting next to her husband said on TV that the shadow that passed under him was the size of a car..that's probably an apt description as apparently they pulled a tooth from the mans body that supports the shark to be in the 10 metre range..I don't think Fisheries or local govt want that getting out.may affect tourism a tad! Maybe even prompt Fisheries to look into the cull that people who spend much of their time in the water here are calling for..

Also I believe that Rory Macaulay says that numbers are static and they are not territorial..another colleague of mine was talking recently with a pro fisherman who was a Pro Surfer for a while..and he was reported to have said that at least 60 whites were known reported to be off Rotto..currently..a mate of mine was chased by two at Garden Island whilst surfing three weeks ago.as well.

It would be interesting to know what numbers we have in our area?

Macaulay also said that all sightings were not being reported..I believe that's true.and surfers and all ocean goers need to do so to get some attention to what guys in our area are saying is out of control..its pretty much a sighting a day at present, if not every second day, and that's the ones that are being seen!

Two Italian surfers at south point Gracetwon on Sunday..site of Nick Edwards fatality... had a seal come up to them only to have a two foot high dorsal fin come straight at them...a close friend of mine saw it swimming off towards North Point...the other side of Gracetown which was packed with surfers at the time..that afternoon a local had to madly scramble onto the rocks at South Point to get away from a huge shark that was hunting a seal..once again a seal appearing to use a surfer as protection.

Surfers raced out of the lineup at Avalon in Mandurah on Sunday as well with a sighting of another very large White...

A local paddle ski rider on Friday.another reliable source...was out paddling at Gnarabup and apparently fell off, so surprised at the size of the shark fin he saw near him..the beach was packed with holiday makers that day.a recipe for disaster..we have had regular sightings here and around Margs since last Spring..and all mainly Big Whites..Boranup, Redgate, Lefties, Margs, many at Grunters.. and its on everybody's lips..they are not moving on as the experts are saying.......... and many here think that there may be a rogue in the area... at Gnarabup beach. two years ago a 4.5m beached itself and just eye balled the Pengiun swimmers...same area where a local ski paddler saw an absolute whopper on Friday!! Not good...it was not reported in the media even though a reliable media source was part of that group..

They do seem to be returning to known food sources.an opinion widely held by many surfers, refuted by Fisheries even though there is wide evidence of tracking individual whites who have set patterns of travel...surfers love the ocean and what it offers and as a rule respect the ocean and all its creatures..surfers , who spend a hell of a lot more time in the water than predominately office based experts and advisors have I would argue a better handle on what is going on in the area and deserve the attention we are asking for..

I personally nearly fell on one early spring after pulling off a wave at Margs..it was approx. 3 to 3.5 metres with a piece of Tuna in its mouth the size of a big leg of Ham..I managed to get the attention of the other guys in the water and we bailed..there were multiple sightings at Main Break that fortnight and the beach was closed several times as was Lefthanders where Brad Smith's death occurred.

The belief that they are passing through is "not" widely held in the area by many at all now.

Seal populations have exploded in the area and are found in colonies all over now.local fishermen are saying they have seen nothing like it and in the past they dealt with them as it ruined fishing prospects...many think the seal population is contributing to the Whites hanging about.and many will agree..on many occasions now, surfers will leave the water when seals arrive, particularly if they are behaving erratic, as the seals were on the days of all three deaths have occurred to date.

All three attacks, Brad Smiths, Nick Edwards and the young fellow at Boneyards all had seal sightings just prior to the attacks, and as with Nick Edwards attack and the two Italian lads at South Point on Sunday, surfers have commented that the seals appeared to be using surfers as a decoy for want of a better term..

I suppose I am sending you this as further support that the government needs to look into what seems to be an escalating problem, which will probably only get some positive action if we are unfortunate enough to have another fatality..with warmer weather upon us.numbers of humans in the water is about to explode, increasing the odds of another attack....

..I think if there was a survey you would find a heap of support.
I am like Brett Hardy , quoted in Perth Now recently by Liam Bartlett 60 Minutes. up until the last 12 months or so I was of the opinion that we have to live with it...but there seems to be too much evidence that numbers have escalated as has their habit of being so close to shore and humans.

We should at least be undertaking a significant tag and satellite tracking/warning programme...I agree personally agree that a cull is overdue..
With tourists and locals saying its safer to travel over seas or over east to surf, or even relocate permanently, that is a true reflection of the level of concern people have about entering the water in our region now and the potential impact on our are could be very negative.

To quote a friend who pulled Nick Edwards out the water at South Point after being fatally mauled... " a dog attacks a small child or an adult.you put it down. A bear attacks a woman..you put down the bear and its cubs. A croc attacks a human you track it down and eliminate the problem.
But a shark attacks a human and we just let it swim about checking out what's on the shelf?"

We all look forward to your positive response.

http://www.tracksmag.com.au/201207164815/Blogs/Tracks-Blog/Freak-Out-Remain-Calm.html

Matt Holmes says he wont surf again...

www.perthnow.com.au/news/shark-attack-witness-wont-surf-again-ng-5365a2062ca7f7947a9e37f1332e4e41

What about culling the seal populations?

Thats probably not a wise option . You are then taking their main food source and then what ? Wouldn,t you think more seals , more food hence a satisfied shark . Same with there being alot more whales , etc . The whole arguement doesn,t add up , for me i think its both mistaken identity and opertunistic feeding . And yes , if everyone in the know is saying seal population explosion , well wouldn,t that spell more GW entering the areas ?

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lovethebrik said...

. You are then taking their main food source and then what ?

Then they would go somewhere where there IS seals and/or whales.

Seals and whales have been here long before we were . Pretty simple minded to think taking their food will make them just move somewhere else ! Lucky that some people on here aren,t the decision makers .

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lovethebrik said...

Thats probably not a wise option . You are then taking their main food source and then what ? Wouldn,t you think more seals , more food hence a satisfied shark . Same with there being alot more whales , etc . The whole arguement doesn,t add up , for me i think its both mistaken identity and opertunistic feeding . And yes , if everyone in the know is saying seal population explosion , well wouldn,t that spell more GW entering the areas ?

That's the issue is we have a imbalance in the ecosystem. In South Aus they are sterilising NZ fur seals. Populations over there have raced up to tens of thousand's and now killing of other penguins breads. Over fishing is not helping and yes returning whales as well with shifting water currents we now have a situation were we simply don't know what to do.

I think the Sea has the best chance of re setting itself but we need to give her time. We do however need to slow down on how much we take out of her. A better control world wide would make all the difference. IMHO

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lovethebrik said...

Seals and whales have been here long before we were . Pretty simple minded to think taking their food will make them just move somewhere else ! Lucky that some people on here aren,t the decision makers .

So if your local supermarket ran out of food and closed down you would keep going back to buy your groceries?

Stupid analogy ,not worth a response !

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jbshack said...
A better control world wide would make all the difference. IMHO

Can't help but sing the Team America song when i read this.

America fark yeeaahhh!!!!

Interesting article from a reader in the weekends local post, thought it was worth putting it up,

Rob

Edit: Article dated July 21, 2012 in "letters to the post" section, Page 26.