on 05-01-2014 08:01 AM
PROTESTERS vow that yesterday's passionate rally at Cottesloe is just the starting gun on their campaign to scrap the Barnett Government's shark catch and kill policy.
And as the Greens said their lawyers were exploring a legal challenge, acting Premier Kim Hames said the Government was unmoved by the furore and would press ahead with the plan to place 72 baited hooks off beaches from Friday.
Speaking after 4500 protesters gathered on WA's most iconic beach, Dr Hames said there would be a bigger public outcry if anyone sabotaged the drum lines.
"What . . . if someone gets taken on the Rottnest Island swim for example, or a child at Scarborough Beach? Where will their protest be then?'' he said.
Meanwhile, the Greens said their lawyers were investigating the legality of killing protected shark species.
They are also looking into so-called "irregularities" in the tender to maintain the shark drum lines, which will be deployed 1km off beaches in Perth and the South-West.
Great white, tiger and bull sharks will be shot and discarded at sea, most likely in waters past Rottnest Island. A contract to patrol the lines will be awarded to commercial fishers late this week.
Sea Shepherd Australia director Jeff Hansen said: "Western Australians have spoken. It's the biggest rally I think we've ever seen in WA - and it's for sharks. People are educated and they understand the importance that sharks play in our oceans.
They have a lot of sharks in WA, don't they?
I understand the Government's stance on wanting the beaches safe, but also understand the protesters against the shark cull.
Some shark culling has gone so far as to make certain species of shark endangered.
on 07-01-2014 12:13 PM
it stuns me that they want to hunt and destroy an animal who causes the death of a very small number of people who are in their own territory but give no or minimal jail terms to humans who cause the deaths of other humans through senseless violence and drunkedness.
sharks are doing what comes naturally to them and they want to kill them. humans choose to be violent and they get a slap on the wrist. go figure. maybe the sharks should say they were drunk or had been slapped as a child and all would be fogiven, seems to be the way it works.
on 07-01-2014 02:47 PM
on 07-01-2014 03:28 PM