Australia's Oceans Urgently Need Your Support

Please support our campaign to bring Shark Culling in Australian waters to an end, in favour of more effective, modern technologies.

Add Your Support

The site will take care of everything based on your postcode. Please add your support to our campaign and we will forward an email letter to a local MP in your area (if you are from QLD or NSW) or to the Cabinet Minister/s responsible for these programs (if you are from elsewhere in Australia or the world).

AUSTRALIA MUST LEAVE ARCHAIC AND
DISPROVEN SHARK CULLING IN THE PAST

Since 1937, Australia has culled sharks in an archaic attempt to keep swimmers safe.

It is time to move past this outdated and disproven methodology, and remove shark nets and traditional drumlines from Australian waters. These lethal shark mitigation programs run in the states of Queensland and New South Wales do nothing to improve swimmer safety, and cause horrific harm to our marine ecosystems.

These programs not only kill large sharks, but also thousands of small harmless sharks, whales, dolphins, turtles, manta rays, dugongs... many of which are critically endangered.

Whilst these programs may have seemed to make sense in the 1930's or 1960's when New South Wales and Queensland developed them, science has come a long way since then, and we now know these programs do not work, and create enormous harm for no improvement in safety.

It is time to listen to science, and abandon or modernise these shark culling programs.

Envoy Film

TIGER SHARK #13,897


Shocking Video!!!! WARNING EXTREMELY GRAPHIC!!!

This video is the killing of Tiger Shark number 13,897 as part of the Queensland Shark Cull. It was caught on a drumline - a large industrial fishing hook on a buoy, 500m from shore.

This Tiger Shark had the misfortune of being one of 19 target species (16 of which do not pose a fatality risk to humans) that are killed when caught, no matter how young or old. Target species die, always.

It's fate was only ever going to be two possible outcomes. It would either die slowly on the hook, which is only checked every 48 hours, or it would be found alive and killed by the Government contractor.

Tiger Shark 13,897 happened to be found alive, and was then dragged aboard the shark culling contractors boat, to be brutally and painfully killed. It was not fast, it was not ‘euthanised'. It was killed via multiple stab wounds to the head, while it fought desperately for its life.

This story is not unique, it is just one of 13,897 Tiger Sharks culled in Queensland waters, but it is a powerful moment. Now think of all the White Sharks, Hammerheads, Makos, Leopard Sharks, Nurse Sharks that have been killed - but there was no camera to capture it.

Now think of all the by-catch such as Whales, Dolphins, Turtles, Rays, Dugongs dying in Australian waters every single day with no one there to document.

These programs serve no purpose, and need to end. Right now.

Shark Cull

A LETTER TO YOUR REPRESENTATIVE MEMBER

Your Location

Dear Minister,

I write to you on the very important topic of shark mitigation. This is an important issue that affects public safety, tourism, and also the environment. I implore you to listen to science, listen to the facts, and bring the 'Bather Control' program into the 21st century.

I ask that you swiftly deploy modern and effective shark mitigation measures, that also have the benefit of being non-lethal to both sharks and other marine life, such as:

  1. Standard drone surveillance technology on all patrolled beaches where water clarity permits. Multi-spectral drone surveillance technology in areas with poor water clarity.
  2. In calmer waters, eco-barrier style hard mesh, full height (seabed to surface) barrier technology to create a swimming enclosure that does not entangle sharks or other marine life.
  3. In bigger swell areas and areas with surf breaks, Shark Safe Barrier style artificial kelp, full height (seabed to surface), flexible barrier technology to keep large sharks isolated from swimmers and surfers.
  4. Rebates for peer-reviewed personal shark deterrents such as Ocean Guardian Shark Shield (dive, surf and boat models)
  5. A state-wide education campaign that highlights where the above technologies have been deployed and also the steps to take when swimming in areas that do not have those mitigation measures. This could include encouragement to carry personal trauma kits, what style of clothing to wear, shark behaviour information etc.

To claim your current program, designed in the 1930s, is successful in reducing fatalities is erroneous, and the programs' official line of "only 1 fatality at a protected beach" is deceitful. There have been 60+ bites at netted or drum-lined beaches across NSW and QLD, and 3 fatalities. Fatalities have reduced since the implementation of your program due to improved medical techniques and responses, not due to the program itself.

The 'Shark mitigation and deterrent measures' Senate Inquiry in 2017 gave a clear recommendation to States, that the current lethal program should end (Recommendation 8.16). It is now 2020 and this has been ignored to date. Drumlines and nets should be removed immediately. Shark populations are being decimated and there is no positive impact on safety.

It is clear both Australians and overseas visitors support non-lethal shark mitigation over the lethal culling practices of the current program. It is time to listen to your constituents, listen to science, and move the program into the twenty-first century as outlined above. Let's lead the world on shark mitigation, rather than being the laughing stock of the world.

I look forward to you having some courage and making the right decision in the very near future, by ending the program in its current form.

Dear Minister,

I write to you on the very important topic of shark mitigation. This is an important issue that affects public safety, tourism, and also the environment. I implore you to listen to science, listen to the facts, and bring the 'Shark Control' program into the 21st century.

I ask that you swiftly deploy modern and effective shark mitigation measures, that also have the benefit of being non-lethal to both sharks and other marine life, such as:

  1. Standard drone surveillance technology on all patrolled beaches where water clarity permits. Multi-spectral drone surveillance technology in areas with poor water clarity.
  2. In calmer waters, eco-barrier style hard mesh, full height (seabed to surface) barrier technology to create a swimming enclosure that does not entangle sharks or other marine life.
  3. In bigger swell areas and areas with surf breaks, Shark Safe Barrier style artificial kelp, full height (seabed to surface), flexible barrier technology to keep large sharks isolated from swimmers and surfers.
  4. Rebates for peer-reviewed personal shark deterrents such as Ocean Guardian Shark Shield (dive, surf and boat models)
  5. A state-wide education campaign that highlights where the above technologies have been deployed and also the steps to take when swimming in areas that do not have those mitigation measures. This could include encouragement to carry personal trauma kits, what style of clothing to wear, shark behaviour information etc.

To claim your current program, designed in the 1960s, is successful in reducing fatalities is erroneous, and the programs' official line of "only 1 fatality at a protected beach" is deceitful. There have been 60+ bites at netted or drum-lined beaches across NSW and QLD, and 3 fatalities. Fatalities have reduced since the implementation of your program due to improved medical techniques and responses, not due to the program itself.

The 'Shark mitigation and deterrent measures' Senate Inquiry in 2017 gave a clear recommendation to States, that the current lethal program should end (Recommendation 8.16). It is now 2020 and this has been ignored to date. Drumlines and nets should be removed immediately. Shark populations are being decimated and there is no positive impact on safety.

It is clear both Australians and overseas visitors support non-lethal shark mitigation over the lethal culling practices of the current program. It is time to listen to your constituents, listen to science, and move the program into the twenty-first century as outlined above. Let's lead the world on shark mitigation, rather than being the laughing stock of the world.

I look forward to you having some courage and making the right decision in the very near future, by ending the program in its current form.

Dear Ministers,

I write to you on the very important topic of shark mitigation. With the recent release of the documentary Envoy: Shark Cull, Australia's archaic practices are being exposed on an international stage. This is an important issue that affects public safety, tourism, and also the environment.

I implore you to listen to science, listen to the facts, and bring the 'Shark Control' / 'Bather Protection' programs into the 21st century. I ask that you swiftly deploy modern and effective shark mitigation measures, that also have the benefit of being non-lethal to both sharks and other marine life, such as:

  1. Standard drone surveillance technology on all patrolled beaches where water clarity permits. Multi-spectral drone surveillance technology in areas with poor water clarity.
  2. In calmer waters, eco-barrier style hard mesh, full height (seabed to surface) barrier technology to create a swimming enclosure that does not entangle sharks or other marine life.
  3. In bigger swell areas and areas with surf breaks, Shark Safe Barrier style artificial kelp, full height (seabed to surface), flexible barrier technology to keep large sharks isolated from swimmers and surfers.
  4. Rebates for peer-reviewed personal shark deterrents such as Ocean Guardian Shark Shield (dive, surf and boat models)
  5. A state-wide education campaign that highlights where the above technologies have been deployed and also the steps to take when swimming in areas that do not have those mitigation measures. This could include encouragement to carry personal trauma kits, what style of clothing to wear, shark behaviour information etc.

To claim your current programs, designed almost a century ago is successful in reducing fatalities is erroneous, and the programs' official line of "only 1 fatality at a protected beach" is deceitful. There have been 60+ bites at netted or drum-lined beaches across NSW and QLD, and 3 fatalities. Fatalities have reduced since the implementation of your program due to improved medical techniques and responses, not due to the program itself.

The 'Shark mitigation and deterrent measures' Senate Inquiry in 2017 gave a clear recommendation to States, that the current lethal program should end (Recommendation 8.16). It is now 2020 and this has been ignored to date. Drumlines and nets should be removed immediately. Shark populations are being decimated and there is no positive impact on safety.

It is clear both Australian and overseas visitors support non-lethal shark mitigation over the lethal culling practices of the current program. I look forward to you having some courage, and making the right decision in the very near future, by ending the program in its current form.

As historically progress has not occurred at a state level, I also ask the Australian Federal Government step in to urgently close the 43B loophole in the EPBC Act, which allows these state-run programs to slaughter protected species without any formal approval (owing to the fact that they were operational prior to the EPBC Act being legislated).

Until such time as the culling ends, I will be taking my tourism dollars to other states or countries - as I cannot in good conscience support places that cull any animals, let alone protected species, just to provide the public and tourists with a false sense of security.

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