Decent Essays. In Denver, Colorado, the famed Canadian geese also became a public nuisance at some point. In fact, removing the apex predator from the ocean can have negative effects on the marine habitat at large, not to mention the unintended killing of other marine species which are also critical to the health of the oceans. CONS: Further testing needed, including to see if large fish and non-target marine life are picked up by the buoys. [2][3][4][5] Conservationists say killing sharks on drum lines harms the marine ecosystem. The culling of animals also prevents the spread of diseases that would destroy a particular species gene pool. In 2016, the country also announced a decision to cull hippos in Kruger National Park after a drought. There are several creatures, as small as microscopic infectious viruses to as big as hippopotamuses, that had befallen death on our loved one. [2][3][4][5][6][40][68] They say sharks are important to the marine ecosystem and that killing them harms the marine ecosystem. Before we take a closer look at shark culling, lets address the prevalence of shark attacks. Lets start with the fact that were protecting different animal species; why shouldnt we protect sharks? The feral cats of Tasmania are a case in point. How does killing sharks affect the ecosystem? Use of colored and striped swimwear and equipment. campaign that killed over 50 sharks in three months bred no reductions in shark bites. PROS: Ability to sight sharks from the air and potentially give warning to water-goers through the use of sirens or signals. "[35], About 360 baited drum lines have been placed off the coast of Queensland, including 78 along the Sunshine Coast, 54 near Townsville, 27 near Mackay and 38 near Cairns. [67][51][66][79] The Sea Shepherd group says, "private investors are trialing various programs such as electronic deterrents, drones, the Eco Shark Barrier at a local beach in Perth, and smart phone applications which use social media to advise the community of where sharks are spotted". [32] It has been argued that killing sharks in the Great Barrier Reef is "vastly inconsistent with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority's main objective, 'to provide for the long-term protection and conservation of the environment. Consuming sharks will increase the level of mercury you ingest which will in turn increase your risk of neurological disorders, autism, infertility, Coronary heart disease or even death. Those with undesirable traits are culled, allowing farmers to drive profitability. Here, culling is done based on factors affecting cow performance, such as milk production, reproductive status, and diseases. The efficiency of the shark nets and drum lines as deterrents is also questionable. They confuse humans for defenseless animals (which, arguably, we are in the eyes of a shark), and most of the time, they dont really care what were doing. This can perfectly illustrate the effects of shark culling on the ecosystem. The statement, however, was twisted by a local newspaper writer as the lives of sharks are more important than humans. Unfortunately, instead of the yields increasing, they went down, causing greater losses. [32] From 1962 to 2018, roughly 50,000 sharks were killed by Queensland authorities.[33]. PROS: Less likely to make wearer look like a seal. [25] No shark attacks occurred at the netted beaches during the trial, and the trial was continued for the 2017-18 summer. Although the culling of sparrows helped to eliminate the disease, it had a negative impact on the ecosystem. Removal of large ocean predators causes a meltdown in the delicate oceanic ecosystem that influences the carbon emissions, and thats exactly whats happening in Australia, said Dr Peter Macreadie, co-author of the paper. What are the pros and cons of culling animals? And what effect do they have on the marine environment? The attack occurred in an unpatrolled area. East Coast vs West Coast Surfing: Which Is Better? The culling of ferrets led to a doubling of their population. Fin-mounted satellite tags are also commonly used. Put simply, shark culling is a deliberate government action to kill and reduce the numbers of sharks in our oceans, which is usually an unthoughtful, knee-jerk reaction to a shark attack. Shark nets are also used in New South Wales, which includes major cities like Sydney and Canberra. However, the brutal way in which they are killed certainly needs to be rechecked. During that period, about 114 sharks and other animals died. [17][11] The current net program in New South Wales has been described as being "extremely destructive" to marine life, including sharks. "[34], "[Data] reveals the ecological carnage of [Queensland's] shark control regime. Shark barriers are usually made from plastic and nylon and attached to pylons on the beach and offshore, and anchored to the ocean bed with large chains. Life on earth depends on the delicate balance of this vast life support system. Marketers of a range of the products claim on their websites to have tested their efficacy, however the results range from working "some of the time" to "only on particular sharks" or "temporarily". I can understand that because there has been a lot of aggression and threatening behaviour in the community.. These diseases are highly infectious and fatal for both animals and humans. A drum line consists of a large, baited hook suspended from a large plastic float, which in turn is anchored to the sea bed. Many people seem ready to begin a shark. for and against shark culling with fierce representations and opinions on both ends of the table. Not only do the methods trap and harm other marine animals, but by removing large numbers of major predators, they create a knock-on effect that impacts all marine life. The Grom Life is an independent publisher. A drumline trap is made up of a large baited hook attached to a floating object that is then anchored to the seabed. This explains why this point could not miss on our list of important pros and cons of culling animals. Well, heres a detailed list of all the benefits and drawbacks that come with this practice. Below are the 10 important pros and cons of culling animals. [11] More than 5,000 marine turtles have been caught on the nets. Marketed as 'eco friendly' having become artificial habitats for marine life. [12] Although shark species such as the great white shark are protected in South Africa, the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board is allowed to kill these sharks (an exception was made for them). Other farmers resort to crushing the chicks, a totally unethical practice. PROS: Ability to sight sharks from the air and potentially give warning to water-goers through the use of sirens or signals. Stanley Heritage Cooler Combo Competition, Mulloway released into Sydneys Georges River, Dean Butler inducted into IGFA Hall of Fame, Calls to include fish, crustaceans and cephalopods to South Australian Animal Welfare Act, Calls to include fish, crustaceans and cephalopods. Apps Physical barriers in dangerous or crowded spots. Just as we cannot scare our kids that they cannot go in the water or theyll get chopped in half, we dont have control over the oceans; thats their home. "[21] Shark author and diver Hugh Edwards said, "We're the intruders in the ocean and the sharks have got a perfect right to be there. They were first installed in 1935. Valerie Taylor is a competitive spear fisher turned shark conservationist who is adamantly opposed to shark culling and the methods used. The unsuccessful trial in Lennox Head resulted in debris from the half-built barriers polluting the area and the estimated cost of the unsuccessful trial was $2.6 million. PROS: An electrical repellent known as the 'shark shield' has been independently shown to be effective at deterring sharks from biting, most of the time. They use baited hooks to lure and trap the animals, not unlike fishing lines. ", "Surfer Shark Attack On Reunion Island Leaves Man Without Arm And Foot", "Shark Cull Announced By France Follows Second Fatal Attack Off Runion Island This Year", "Another Fatal Shark Attack On Runion Island Bodyboarder And Trained Shark-spotter Is Ninth Death In Six Years", "Dunedin shark-nets film 'positive environmental story', "Here's How Communities Around The World Are Trying To Prevent Shark Attacks (, "Alternatives to Shark Nets and Drumlines", "Australia: More than 170 sharks caught under controversial cull program", "WA Abandons Shark Culling Program, But Reserves Right To Kill Again", "Premier Mark McGowan's Shark Plan Not Enough To Protect Us", "Sharks To Be Caught On SMART Drum Lines Off WA's South West After Labor U-turn", "Environmental activists demand shark drum line trial be abandoned", "EPA determines SMART drumline proposal would have minimal impact", "QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO SENATE REFFERRED[sic] INQUIRY INTO THE EFFICACY AND REGULATION OF SHARK MITIGATION AND DETERRENT MEASURES", "Surfing Australia submission to the Senate Enquiry into the Efficacy and Regulation of Shark Deterrent Measures", "Inside La Runion's Shark Cull: Why the Locals Want Them Dead", "Beyond the panic: the facts about shark nets", "HISTORY OF PROTECTION AGAINST SHARK ATTACK IN KZN", https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/acv.12096, "The Importance of Sharks In the Ecosystem", "Western Australia's shark cull faces legal challenge from conservationists", "Media Statements - WA to conduct scientific trial of SMART drumlines", http://www.sealifetrust.org.au/cause-view/, "Mike Baird is right, culling sharks doesn't work here's what we can do instead", "Call to classify shark culling and drum lines as threats to endangered species", http://www.southcoasttoday.com/news/20181008/expert-shark-threat-always-going-to-be-problem-for-cape-cod, "How to swim with sharks and not get eaten", "Shark attack survivor and drumline contractor say conservation group supporters harass them", "Wiley: Humane Strategy Reduces Shark Attacks", "A Review of the Biology and Status of White Sharks in Australian Waters", "Shark Bycatch in Commercial Fisheries: A Global Perspective", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Shark_culling&oldid=1136492434, This page was last edited on 30 January 2023, at 15:59. [81] Sharksavers estimates that in total 50 million sharks are caught unintentionally each year as bycatch by the commercial fishing industry. Overfishing, shark finning, climate change, black market trade, and habitat loss have had a massive effect on sharks. The predatory role of sharks is also significant for the worlds economy. Alerts from surf safeguards and lifeguards in case of danger/threat. [12] The current shark cull in KwaZulu-Natal has been criticized by environmentalists, and has been called "archaic" and "disastrous to the ecosystem". More than 84,000 marine animals have been ensnared by drum-lines and shark nets since the program began in 1962 [] Nearly 27,000 marine mammals have been snared. The 199798 outbreak of the Nipah virus in Malaysia, for example, claimed the lives of over a hundred pig farmers. Of these animals, 7 were dolphins, 7 were green sea turtles, and 10 were grey nurse sharks, which are critically endangered. Whats more, shark nets arent even that effective. The KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board (KZNSB) says, "Both types of equipment function by reducing shark numbers in the vicinity of protected beaches, thereby lowering the probability of encounters between sharks and people at those beaches." Sharks regulate the behaviour of prey species, and prevent them from over-grazing vital habitats. [57] In January 2019 the Environmental Protection Authority of Western Australia determined that the "SMART" drumline trial would have minimal impact on the environment.[58]. The Dorsal App claims to be Australia's largest shark alerts and reporting service. However, there are times when the culling of animals is driven by public hysteria and arbitrary reasons. Sharks are [viewed as] either a commodity or a pest, instead of a respected fellow species on this planet. See Related: Different Animals That Cant Jump. Share Envoy: Shark Cull with your family and friends and start a conversation about how we portray sharks and how they need our empathy and . The tags are attached to a small arrow-head and a short tether and are usually attached to sharks using a tag pole as they swim past a vessel. Such ecological changes have indirect adverse effects on carbon cycling and, in the longer run, affect our ability to reduce climate change impacts. Shark sightings and reports from the public as well as from government and emergency services are recorded, with alerts sent out to user's smart phones and via social media. To add to the insult, all of the victims were from near-threatened tiger shark species instead of the targeted great white shark. The sharks' rights are enshrined in our law. Every animal entangled suffers when shark culling, Australia-wide. You would have to kill a lot of sharks to create the level of depletion needed to result in a measurable drop in the risk to humans". CONS: Contractor required to check drumlines and relocate the sharks, contractor needs to reach the caught shark in a timely manner, other marine life may be caught. Shark culling or shark control is the act of deliberately killing sharks, thus reducing their population sizes, and preventing shark attacks. This took a lot of manpower to clean. '"[34], In October 2018, the Queensland state government proposed a policy which would ban the photography of shark culling in Queensland; Lawrence Chlebeck of Humane Society International said the following about this proposal: "The Queensland Government's plan to put exclusion zones around shark control equipment is simply a measure to keep the slaughter of sharks and marine wildlife hidden from public view. This is evident in the poultry industry, where almost half of the chickens that hatch are usually male. 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