greatwhites do we really need them

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Radman
Radman
WA
629 posts
WA, 629 posts
5 Sep 2011 7:29am
RIP to the young lad who dided on our southcoast yesterday, seems to me that this annual carnage of human life should be preventable, i hate to say it but surelly these creatures of the deep should be allowed tobe harvested and used for cat food or something,game fishing ect even if it only saves one life a year it would be worth it
windangoesoff
windangoesoff
NSW
280 posts
NSW, 280 posts
5 Sep 2011 9:41am
Wipe out a species to save one life ? Who said humans have more right to be here than any other animal? Great Whites are beautiful creatures.

Totally disagree.
eneour
eneour
WA
104 posts
WA, 104 posts
5 Sep 2011 7:47am
yeah sure, let's kill those f...ing sharks, kill all the snakes, all the crocs, the stingrays, etc...

shark fatalities are indeed sad, but we are entering their territory and know they are here, so we need to show a bit more respect for the natural elements and their creatures.

I also totally disagree with your point Radman.
Weta
Weta
WA
893 posts
WA, 893 posts
5 Sep 2011 8:37am
Condolences to the young mans family and friends

No one saw the shark so i dont know how channel 7 can report it was a 4.5 metre GW??? sensationalist reporting.
coreyb
coreyb
WA
463 posts
WA, 463 posts
5 Sep 2011 8:57am
If someone gets attacked by a crock or a snake, it is usually killed or at least removed. If someone gets killed by a dog in its own territory it is put down.

I dont think all whites should be killed, but there should be a way of keeping them out in the deep and not attracting them in close and getting them used to human contact.

AKSonline
AKSonline
WA
925 posts
WA, 925 posts
5 Sep 2011 9:14am
I kinda agree with coreyb,

Since joining our spearfishing club 4 years ago there were only 3 or 4 of the older guys who had ever seen a GWS and I was told it was such a rarity that it was an amazing gift to actually see one.

Nowadays, just 4 years later, they are being spotted fairly regularly by club members and it is now not such a rarity. Knocking off a few of the ones who stray close to the coast wouldn't hurt.

Since their protection, their numbers have swelled quite dramatically. The problem with protecting a top of the food chain predator is that we are wiping out their normal food source for human consumption. This messes up the eco balance.

Just wiping out a species isn't the answer, careful management of the entire marine ecosystem is the key. Seeing as the government couldn
t organize a root in a brothel with a skin full of piss and a $50 note in their hand, what hope have we got of success in this area?

Til then, we lose a human or two every year. Survival tip! Don't ride a shark biscuit.

Condolences to the family and friends of the boy taken.

DM

Weta
Weta
WA
893 posts
WA, 893 posts
5 Sep 2011 9:16am
Corey in this latest attack and the one at Gracetown both areas are by seal colonies which are known to attract sharks. There were also migrating whales in the area yesteday another known naturally occurring shark attractant. Another natural factor was murky water conditions and overcast skies which lead to poor visibility in the water.
schmik
schmik
NSW
235 posts
NSW, 235 posts
5 Sep 2011 11:18am
windangoesoff said...

Who said humans have more right to be here than any other animal?


Humans did. Animals can't talk... or make guns or harpoons or TNT or poison.

How come vegetarians carry leather wallets? Weird.

bennie
bennie
ACT
1258 posts
ACT, 1258 posts
5 Sep 2011 11:37am
schmik said...
How come vegetarians carry leather wallets? Weird



because their not vegans
rhinoman
rhinoman
QLD
362 posts
QLD, 362 posts
5 Sep 2011 11:38am
coreyb said...

If someone gets attacked by a crock or a snake, it is usually killed or at least removed. If someone gets killed by a dog in its own territory it is put down.

I dont think all whites should be killed, but there should be a way of keeping them out in the deep and not attracting them in close and getting them used to human contact.


just like we do if you kill a human life //lifes a bitch ...or no we dont move them on we just put them up .with free medical and dental /maybe we could have sharks eyes tested .and lets take all the cars of the road too they kill .now could the shark responsible please come forward so we the red necks of WA can issue you your death warrant .one life for a life aint the answer

lostinlondon
lostinlondon
VIC
1159 posts
VIC, 1159 posts
5 Sep 2011 11:48am
Of the 1000s of kilometres of coastline and high rate of water sports/surfing in this country, the fact we have 2-3 fatalities every 12 months isn't too bad. I was in Reunion Island in July and they were getting a Great White attack once a WEEK. This is on an island that takes you about 5 hours to drive around. Everyone there just knew you didn't go out in the water after rainfall or around sunset as that was when your chance of being taken were the highest.

I'm not saying this young bloke had it coming or it was his fault. What happens is sad and will be especially hard on his family and those who know him.

But if you are going to engage in a water sport that puts you at an elevated risk of shark attack, maybe it's worth taking the time to understand how you can mitigate the risk. If that means staying out of the water after rain or at dusk then that's what you have to do. It's all part of being the art of being a waterman, how to read the weather and the sea conditions so you can go out there and rip it but still be standing to do it another day. (Not saying that I'm a gun at these things, but I try)

In a lot of ways I would rather die doing something awesome rather than of a heart attack sitting at my desk. That seems like more of a tragedy to me.
loudas
loudas
NSW
51 posts
NSW, 51 posts
5 Sep 2011 11:57am
lostinlondon said...

Of the 1000s of kilometres of coastline and high rate of water sports/surfing in this country, the fact we have 2-3 fatalities every 12 months isn't too bad. I was in Reunion Island in July and they were getting a Great White attack once a WEEK. This is on an island that takes you about 5 hours to drive around. Everyone there just knew you didn't go out in the water after rainfall or around sunset as that was when your chance of being taken were the highest.

I'm not saying this young bloke had it coming or it was his fault. What happens is sad and will be especially hard on his family and those who know him.

But if you are going to engage in a water sport that puts you at an elevated risk of shark attack, maybe it's worth taking the time to understand how you can mitigate the risk. If that means staying out of the water after rain or at dusk then that's what you have to do. It's all part of being the art of being a waterman, how to read the weather and the sea conditions so you can go out there and rip it but still be standing to do it another day. (Not saying that I'm a gun at these things, but I try)

In a lot of ways I would rather die doing something awesome rather than of a heart attack sitting at my desk. That seems like more of a tragedy to me.

doing something awesome??? i'd rather die of a heart attack at my desk than be eaten alive anyday!
LouD
LouD
WA
642 posts
WA, 642 posts
5 Sep 2011 10:17am
www.seabreeze.com.au/

Same argument in surfing forum.
wishy
wishy
WA
1501 posts
WA, 1501 posts
5 Sep 2011 10:42am
At least his last waves would have been bloody awesome.
I was there on Friday and Saturday and it was sensational.
So sad to lose someone like that though, hopefully his mates and family are ok.
GreenGriff
GreenGriff
SA
137 posts
SA, 137 posts
5 Sep 2011 12:30pm
in answer to the topic yes we do NEED them as such, we also need to not rape and pillage the oceans for a tuna sandwich
Apex predators are an important part of the environment and it was just doing what it has to do to survive
NickT
NickT
WA
1094 posts
WA, 1094 posts
5 Sep 2011 12:11pm
Totally disagree with any form of retribution, I have surfed for fifteen years and it is just a risk you are aware of everytime you enter the water.

What I do agree with is that any form of desensitising the sharks to human contact eg shark diving off Pt Lincoln S.A should not be encouraged.

I feel sad for his family and friends, but do find comfort in that old cliche of at least he went doing what he loved.
Trant
Trant
NSW
601 posts
NSW, 601 posts
5 Sep 2011 2:40pm
There's a lot of things we probably don't "need".

We should probably kill off all the bees first, 2-3 Australians die every year from bee stings compared to 1 from shark attack. (Not sure how 1 death per year is "carnage")

Bicycles kill lots of people. Do we "need" them?
Killing off all the dolphins probably wouldn't increase the price of bread, we don't "need" them either and they're just eating our fish stocks.

Sympathies to the family of the lad who died, but I don't think wiping out a species is the answer.
waveslave
waveslave
WA
4263 posts
WA, 4263 posts
5 Sep 2011 12:42pm
So sorry to hear about this sad event.
But when your number is up ... you are going to die.
and that's that.
Spacemonkey!
Spacemonkey!
SA
2288 posts
SA, 2288 posts
5 Sep 2011 2:44pm
Human numbers are swelling too, maybe we should cull them too. Would solve a lot of problems with 1/4 of the population.
Jonopark
Jonopark
WA
400 posts
WA, 400 posts
5 Sep 2011 2:48pm
We kill every other species in the ocean except For the strongest and most dangerous one. And people here scream protect the Eco system??? Go eat a ****ing carrot, as I guess your vegans too?? Last summer there was heaps spotted locally in Perth.(they don't look for them north and south) and I was in the water most of these days.
If they are spotted or caught within a certain distance in shore it should be a free for all. Bans on fishing for these things and craypots that do not have hooks strung all over them have allowed numbers increase dramatically. And while we rape the rest of the ocean these things are growing and getting hungry. Monitor them and cull them until there is a safe number spotted each year swimming past your beaches. Crayfish squid tuna etc are good enough to kill why not aggressive (increasing in numbers) sharks? What happens when they run out of food??
sbray
sbray
SA
350 posts
SA, 350 posts
5 Sep 2011 4:27pm
My condolences to the friends and family of this lad.
Nothing can detract from the trauma & sadness for those close to him.

The sensationalism (as mentioned above) adds to the hype behind knee-jerk solutions to a deeply sad but unfortunately true event.

There may be solutions which help alleviate the incidence of attack but sadly I don't think you can prevent it totally.

Wiping out the sharks of the ocean is not a sound path.

If some statistics can be used to temper the hype then you could look no further than the road toll, quite often comprising to some degree, of those in the same age range as the person involved in the shark attack.


In Australia, as of August 2011, over 1,200 people were killed on our roads over the past year and around 32,000 people were hospitalised as a result of crashes.


In WA, (quoted only because the shark topic started here) over 110 deaths and over 150 Critical injuries in the year to date for 2011 attributed to road crashes. Similar, per capita for the other states & territories.

If you believe that only croc and shark attacks are the most horrifying, then I suggest that you have a serious chat with your local ambulance & rescue crews regarding the disturbing horror behind road trauma.

Under the same umbrella of thought that started this topic, i.e. culling a species, it would be more beneficial to Australia to remove all car drivers.

Fine in fantasy but truly unrealistic!

Some acute focus should be given to where the greatest danger lies, not just sensationalism to get a headline.

Fossil
vespa
vespa
WA
54 posts
WA, 54 posts
5 Sep 2011 3:30pm
So has anyone kitesurfed the waves at farm? Is it consistant wind direction wise to actually ride down the line easily? I worked there in the hotel for 4 years and never tried!!!! Did a lot of mind surfing though through winter!
dusta
dusta
WA
2940 posts
WA, 2940 posts
5 Sep 2011 3:51pm
Jonopark said...

We kill every other species in the ocean except For the strongest and most dangerous one. And people here scream protect the Eco system??? Go eat a ****ing carrot, as I guess your vegans too?? Last summer there was heaps spotted locally in Perth.(they don't look for them north and south) and I was in the water most of these days.
If they are spotted or caught within a certain distance in shore it should be a free for all. Bans on fishing for these things and craypots that do not have hooks strung all over them have allowed numbers increase dramatically. And while we rape the rest of the ocean these things are growing and getting hungry. Monitor them and cull them until there is a safe number spotted each year swimming past your beaches. Crayfish squid tuna etc are good enough to kill why not aggressive (increasing in numbers) sharks? What happens when they run out of food??


If you put as much effort into saving lives from drink driving as you have devoted to being a ****ing retard then the amount of people saved each year would be astronomical


stabber
stabber
NSW
1114 posts
NSW, 1114 posts
5 Sep 2011 5:59pm
I agree with jonopark... Cull them.

greenies can have their day come Judgement Day.

If they come within 500 metres of beach, GW barbeque I say. If they are apex preditors, maybe they'll learn something.

We will eat them If it makes you feel better about it(more ppl will probably die from mercury poisoning then) But hey the idea is sound.
eppo
eppo
WA
9792 posts
WA, 9792 posts
5 Sep 2011 4:03pm

Can't be definite about GWS rising numbers due to over fishing their food source. Is there any decent science to back this up? Hence won't comment on this. IS there anyone in possession of such information? (Although it is probably a fairly sound theory).

Human life is precious, just ask the family that just lost their loved one.

We can be callous about the value of human live versus other species, especially if one has not experienced the pain of losing a loved one to that species.

Remember a real life, a real person has been lost. If the science backs the theory of rising numbers due to our destuction of their normal excosystem and if science can prove a significant increase in risk to humans, then measures should be put in place to reduce this risk.

If that surmounts to culling then so be it.

And before you rise to arms concerning the ethical absurdity of killing another species to save more humans... what if it was your son, daughter or loved one?

Would you think the same? If you say yes I say Bullshyte, you are talking out your fat ass and I neeed no science to back that up!

dave......
dave......
WA
2119 posts
WA, 2119 posts
5 Sep 2011 4:23pm
AKSonline said...

I kinda agree with coreyb,

Seeing as the government couldnt organize a root in a brothel with a skin full of piss and a $50 note in their hand, what hope have we got of success in this area?

Condolences to the family and friends of the boy taken.

DM




You are right yet again Darren. They need a credit card with $100,000, of someone elses money.. Quality hookers!!
dusta
dusta
WA
2940 posts
WA, 2940 posts
5 Sep 2011 4:37pm
eppo said...


Remember a real life, a real person has been lost.



what about fish and other animals. they have feelings too .
Chris_M
Chris_M
2132 posts
2132 posts
5 Sep 2011 4:38pm
Predator-prey populations are prey driven. E.g. if prey population drops, predator numbers drop, because they lose their food source, so their growth and reproduction slows down. If the predator species is a bit more generalist (in how they feed), they will start choosing different species as their prey, even if it is not their traditional food source.

Sounds like there was a seal colony nearby. Being that seals are one of Great Whites preferred food sources, it may not be a good idea to enter the water near seal colonies, because there will probably be some big noahs cruising around looking for something to eat.

I know that Great Whites are intelligent hunters, but they are also known to be curious and take "test bites" of species that they wouldn't normally eat.

As ocean going people, we need to be aware that Great Whites are around, particularly near seal colonies where they come to feed. Make informed choices about where you get in the water.

Condolences to the surfers family
AndreC
AndreC
WA
512 posts
WA, 512 posts
5 Sep 2011 4:43pm
It is sad when a life is taken..when it comes to shark related deaths..Fact is more people die from bee stings or chocking on xmas ornaments..Worse things to be worried about like driving on the freeway in perth or the fact that 50% of us will develop some form of cancer in this lifetime.Coco pops or beer are far more dangerous than we know. We are the major killers when it all boils down. Its a shame we all live in the Jaws Movie in our brain. Sharks are the number one predator in the largest oxygen producing ecosystem on the planet...we keep killing them at 50,000 per day then we stop living at some point. I found this doco put it in perspective for me well worth a watch.


Plummet
Plummet
4862 posts
4862 posts
5 Sep 2011 4:56pm
Well I am completly blase' about kiting in the ocean. I don't give it a second thought.

When people ask me " aren't you afraid of being eaten by a shark"
I say "I have more chance of being killed by a vending machine"

Radman
Radman
WA
629 posts
WA, 629 posts
5 Sep 2011 5:08pm
windangoesoff said...

Wipe out a species to save one life ? Who said humans have more right to be here than any other animal? Great Whites are beautiful creatures.

Totally disagree.


i didnt say wipe out the species i sugested harvesting to cull the no 's down a bit . seems to me all the do gooders in the world arnt helping ,whale numbers are up so are the great whites let the japs eat whales , let the game fishers catch great whites .... enough said dont want to rub karma the wrong way
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