Thread: Australia's sharks...........

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Western Australia's fifth fatal shark attack victim in 10 months stirs debate

Could this be a problem of humans encroaching on the sharks turf/territory or are they migrating into populated areas because of a habitat change? Just wondering?

This also seems to be the case when back packers and hikers decide to venture into Grizzly country. I sure would hate to see nature suffer because of our greed for adventure.

No I'm not a "Greenie" - I just love all of God's creatures and think that we can live in harmony if we use our "common sense" !

meller

Amen Meller! You don't want to get bit by a shark? Stay away from them! Sadly they're already talking of destroying this last shark who killed the surfer, and all he did was what he was born to do.. swim, eat & reproduce!

Same with the grizzlies or wolves or.. you name it! We moved into their turf, we need to be respectful! my 2 cents.. 8-)

Longtime problem for surfers in the land down under...

"On the other side of the Indian Ocean, in Durban, South Africa, city officials installed an elaborate shark net system as early as 1952 to put an end to the high number of fatal attacks they were suffering. The nets have had the desired effect in Durban, but attacks are still common in more rural stretches of coast.

On Sunday, Western Australia Fisheries Minister Norman Moore expressed concern at the trend of fatalities, telling the press, "We have allocated some Aus$14 million ($14 million) extra to get a better understanding of the great white sharks and the reasons why the fatalities are occurring."

"I wonder if research might tell us that there are now much greater number of great whites than ever before, and maybe we should look at whether they should remain a protected species."

A quote from his girlfriend helped me...

"Let's remember that he was doing something that meant the world to him. Surfing was his soul, his life, his culture and his passion.

"He loved mother nature in all her glory and is now in her arms eternally. Let's rejoice in that."

RIP Ben...

Me personally, it would be seriously hard to get in those waters if I knew there had already been 4 other shark attacks. After all, you are entering their environment, and killing is what they do. Like a couple already said, you don't want bitten or ate, stay out of the ocean! The nets have worked for different areas. Maybe the Australian gov should go that route. Even if you kill the shark that is thought to be the killer, there are plenty others hungry and lurking too.

I watched part of shark wranglers on Discovery channel the other night, and they said the great white population has tripled in the last 20yrs. That's the ones they "know" are there. They said who knows for sure how many are really out there. And by the way, those dudes are nuts!

It would stand to reason that the Great White numbers should flourish because "man" is their "only" predator - - - - - "we" have managed to extend our life expectancy and are living much longer and reproducing in record numbers and "we" don't have A "predator" so to speak - - - - - kinda of a Catch 22 huh?

Originally Posted by MelloYello

It would stand to reason that the Great White numbers should flourish because "man" is their "only" predator - - - - - "we" have managed to extend our life expectancy and are living much longer and reproducing in record numbers and "we" don't have A "predator" so to speak - - - - - kinda of a Catch 22 huh?

I watched another show a while back, and these clowns were fishing for great white shaks in really small tuna boats. That is insane. One group of nuts o's pulled one in the boat and it started sinking. Luckily for them it snatched the back of the boat and flipped out of it. The camera guy almost fell in the water. Real smart.

"We" have lots of predators.. most of them are bacteria..!!..!!

My friends and I used to catch sand sharks just off shore in Buzzards Bay. They'd average 6 to 7 feet long and we'd be in a 14 foot fiberglass boat. We'd drag'em in and they'd be thrashing 'til we could un-hook'em. We'd get knocked off our feet and laughing the whole time!! The sharks were usually very busy trying to bite us and trying to continue breathing!!

It wouldn't take long and oxygen depravation would set in and then you can grab ahold to hoist'em back into the water and then tow'em alongside the boat 'til they came round. I really hate fishing but goin' for sand sharks, (when I was a teen), sign me up! LOL..

My other shark story. My best friend growing up, Ron, and his father were out in his 26 foot Grady White outboard. They were just off Nantucket Island, lee side in the afternoon, long story short, a 50 / 60 foot basking shark rose up and lifted them out of the water! For 20:30 minutes they were stranded until it went back down, it drifted and swam during that time but stayed on the lee side.

When it finally was over, Ron's dad fired up the twin merc 150's and blasted in, set it on it's trailer and offered it for sale. He never went back into any boat!