Should shark fishing be banned from metropolitan jetties?

[crawf]

Another week and another shark has been caught off the popular Henley Beach. Whilst these are amazing stories, it is alarming that these sharks are getting that close to the shoreline which could potentially put someone's life at risk. But it's not hard to work out why sharks are coming into shallow waters, when there is always countless people (pretty much 24/7) fishing off Henley Beach, Glenelg, Brighton and other jetties, just metres away from people swimming - crazy stuff. In light of this story and the fact summer is not far away, I believe it's time we consider banning all fishing along metro waters and jetties during warmer months and most definitely ban shark fishing altogether.

Your views?

Another bronze whaler shark caught at Henley Beach
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/sout ... 5948369890

Nick Anderson, 15yo, of Fairview Park, holds a 2.5 metre Bronze Whaler shark he landed at Henley Beach. Picture: Brenton Edwards
Source: AdelaideNow

WOULD you go out in the water this summer? Nick Anderson certainly would, even after hooking this 3m bronze whaler off the Henley jetty this morning.

The teenage sports fisherman from Fairview Park spent five hours battling the shark before bringing it into shore off Henley Beach in front of a 150-strong crowd of squealing onlookers.

"I hooked it about 7am, just fought it till about now," Nick, 15, said.

He used a whole snook for bait.

"It ran for about a kilometre, nearly spooled me, I finally got it back in, got it on the beach, tail-hooked it and got it in."

But Nick, 15, had no plans to keep the shark.

"I just wanted to take a photo and get rid of it ... I wanted to let it live," he said.

Though he prefers fishing to swimming, Nick said the spectre of sharks would not keep him out of the water.

Primary Industries and Resources SA Fisheries regional operations manager Peter Dietman said it was legal to catch sharks off jetties and metropolitan waters as long as only fish or seafood products are used for bait and berley - part of SA legislation.

"The reality is, as long as he's not using any meat products, as long as he's using fish, it's legal to fish for shark," Mr Dietman said.

"The berling requirements are you can't use blood, bone, meat, offal or skin of an animal or bird."

However, he said fishermen and women should be aware of onlookers and treat their catch as humanely as possible.

"We certainly don't encourage taking shark off metropolitan beaches because of public safety but it's not unlawful and they need to be as humane as they can to keep the fish.

"All sharks are potentially dangerous to humans, that's why people who want to catch them should exercise extreme caution."

After watching his catch swim away, Nick said it was time for some bait of his own.

"Off to get something to eat - hopefully (fish and chips), I'm famished."

[monotonehell]

1. This isn't a question you can have a poll on. We aren't Adelaide Now. Shades of "when did you stop beating your wife?" The issues is way too grey to have a black and white poll.

2. If you're not intending to eat it -- don't catch it. Nick probably had flake at the chippy. "lol"

[crawf]

Poll removed

Story from earlier this year

Jetty shark fishing risks lives - Jan 11 2010
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/sout ... 5818216292

[Wayno]

"when did you stop beating your wife?"

She had golf lessons, and is now harder to beat. Is that what you mean?

[ricecrackers]

Another week and another shark has been caught off the popular Henley Beach. Whilst these are amazing stories, it is alarming that these sharks are getting that close to the shoreline which could potentially put someone's life at risk. But it's not hard to work out why sharks are coming into shallow waters, when there is always countless people (pretty much 24/7) fishing off Henley Beach, Glenelg, Brighton and other jetties, just metres away from people swimming - crazy stuff. In light of this story and the fact summer is not far away, I believe it's time we consider banning all fishing along metro waters and jetties during warmer months and most definitely ban shark fishing altogether.

Your views?

Another bronze whaler shark caught at Henley Beach
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/sout ... 5948369890

Nick Anderson, 15yo, of Fairview Park, holds a 2.5 metre Bronze Whaler shark he landed at Henley Beach. Picture: Brenton Edwards
Source: AdelaideNow

WOULD you go out in the water this summer? Nick Anderson certainly would, even after hooking this 3m bronze whaler off the Henley jetty this morning.

The teenage sports fisherman from Fairview Park spent five hours battling the shark before bringing it into shore off Henley Beach in front of a 150-strong crowd of squealing onlookers.

"I hooked it about 7am, just fought it till about now," Nick, 15, said.

He used a whole snook for bait.

"It ran for about a kilometre, nearly spooled me, I finally got it back in, got it on the beach, tail-hooked it and got it in."

But Nick, 15, had no plans to keep the shark.

"I just wanted to take a photo and get rid of it ... I wanted to let it live," he said.

Though he prefers fishing to swimming, Nick said the spectre of sharks would not keep him out of the water.

Primary Industries and Resources SA Fisheries regional operations manager Peter Dietman said it was legal to catch sharks off jetties and metropolitan waters as long as only fish or seafood products are used for bait and berley - part of SA legislation.

"The reality is, as long as he's not using any meat products, as long as he's using fish, it's legal to fish for shark," Mr Dietman said.

"The berling requirements are you can't use blood, bone, meat, offal or skin of an animal or bird."

However, he said fishermen and women should be aware of onlookers and treat their catch as humanely as possible.

"We certainly don't encourage taking shark off metropolitan beaches because of public safety but it's not unlawful and they need to be as humane as they can to keep the fish.

"All sharks are potentially dangerous to humans, that's why people who want to catch them should exercise extreme caution."

After watching his catch swim away, Nick said it was time for some bait of his own.

"Off to get something to eat - hopefully (fish and chips), I'm famished."

if you want to live in a nanny state FFS
people have been fishing off these jetties for decades

[crawf]

Banning fishing along metro beaches would be pretty extreme and controversial. Though shark fishing is just dangerous, inhumane and makes a mockery of the millions being spent to scare sharks away from the metropolitan coastline.

Story from last week

Call to ban shark fishing off jetties after 2m catch
LOCAL NEWS
3 NOV 10 @ 11:00AM BY MICHELLE ETHERIDGE

Aftermath ... A crowd gathers in Henley Square to inspect the bronze whaler caught off the local jetty.
THE landing of a 2m bronze whaler off Henley last week has reignited calls to ban shark fishing at suburban jetties.

Surf Life Saving SA state operations manager Shane Daw said shark fishing increased the risk of swimmers being attacked in the water. “There’s no doubt that if people are out there deliberately fishing for shark and people are swimming in the same area, there’s going to be an increased risk,” he said.

“Our ... view is that we would prefer if such activities didn’t happen at beaches where there are going to be swimmers. We’ll talk with Fisheries, the police and other authorities to determine what level of risk is being presented and what their position is.”

A fisherman caught the 2m shark at Henley Beach on Thursday, October 29, at about 8.30am.

A crowd gathered as he hauled the bronze whaler on to the beach.

Henley Surf Life Saving Club president Neville Fielder agreed shark fishing at Adelaide beaches was dangerous and should be banned.

“A larger shark could be tempted to come in close to the shore,” he said.

PIRSA Fisheries regional manager Randel Donovan said the practice was regulated by rules about hook size and the type of bait used.

He said the angler who landed the 2m bronze whaler last week did not breach any regulations.

“Whether there are people fishing for them or not, the sharks are always going to be there,” he said.

Holdfast Bay Council began a push to ban shark fishing from its jetties when a 150kg bronze whaler was caught at Brighton in 2006.

However mayor Ken Rollond last week said the council had been unable to ban the practice as it did not have jurisdiction over coastal waters.

Continued...
http://weekly-times-messenger.whereiliv ... -ban-call/

[Mants]

it's a only a bronze whaler.....

[crawf]

it's a only a bronze whaler.....

It's still a shark.

[rev]

Another week and another shark has been caught off the popular Henley Beach. Whilst these are amazing stories, it is alarming that these sharks are getting that close to the shoreline which could potentially put someone's life at risk. But it's not hard to work out why sharks are coming into shallow waters, when there is always countless people (pretty much 24/7) fishing off Henley Beach, Glenelg, Brighton and other jetties, just metres away from people swimming - crazy stuff. In light of this story and the fact summer is not far away, I believe it's time we consider banning all fishing along metro waters and jetties during warmer months and most definitely ban shark fishing altogether.

Your views?

Fishing & crabbing off suburban jetties has little to do with it. Good luck proving it.
In any case, if they wanted people to use appropriate bait that didn't have the potential to attract sharks, they'd have more inspectors working.
And the instances were a shark comes close to shore because of such people is actually pretty rare.

Ban fishing off jetties? Why stop there, why not ban swimming too? No wait, I got it, let's drain the oceans. That'll teach those sharks for attacking people who enter their domain.
When will people realize that wrapping society up in cotton wool is not a solution?

Sharks are coming closer to shore all over the world, it's got nothing to do with a few dozen people at most, fishing off jetties in Adelaide.
Fish stocks are over fished as it is, many depleted already. Sharks need to eat too. You ever noticed schools of fish off the end of the jetty? That's what sharks are looking for.
A few bits of bloody chicken thrown in a crab net will not attract sharks 99.99% of the time. For example, not that I've done it or anything but I've seen others do it.

As I said, should swimming be banned too?

The only viable solution is for people to be cautious and act responsibly. Beaches should be patrolled appropriately over summer months.
Even still, there will be shark sightings and even attacks. Why? Because the ocean is the sharks domain, not ours.

Or the government could bite the bullet and install one of those anti shark nets around metropolitan beaches. I think they've got one at Bondi.

[crawf]

The only viable solution is for people to be cautious and act responsibly. Beaches should be patrolled appropriately over summer months.
Even still, there will be shark sightings and even attacks. Why? Because the ocean is the sharks domain, not ours.

South Australia is prone for sharks, which is why it is absurd that shark fishing is even allowed off our metropolitan jetties when we spend millions on trying to scare them away from our coastline. Furthermore aren't sharks endangered species?, or is it just white pointers?

Most fisheries are probably doing the right thing, but there are many that are using illegal bate that is increasing the risk of a nasty shark attack on a nearby swimmer.

Hell even the SLSC want it banned.

Or the government could bite the bullet and install one of those anti shark nets around metropolitan beaches. I think they've got one at Bondi.

$$$ and could put marine animals at risk

As for general fishing, forget I said anything. It would be very extreme and controversial to ban fishing from jetties (which I stated in a previous post)

[ricecrackers]

The only viable solution is for people to be cautious and act responsibly. Beaches should be patrolled appropriately over summer months.
Even still, there will be shark sightings and even attacks. Why? Because the ocean is the sharks domain, not ours.

South Australia is prone for sharks, which is why it is absurd that shark fishing is even allowed off our metropolitan jetties when we spend millions on trying to scare them away from our coastline. Furthermore aren't sharks endangered species?, or is it just white pointers?

Most fisheries are probably doing the right thing, but there are many that are using illegal bate that is increasing the risk of a nasty shark attack on a nearby swimmer.

Hell even the SLSC want it banned.

Or the government could bite the bullet and install one of those anti shark nets around metropolitan beaches. I think they've got one at Bondi.

$$$ and could put marine animals at risk

As for general fishing, forget I said anything. It would be very extreme and controversial to ban fishing from jetties (which I stated in a previous post)

Bronze Whalers have never been on the threatened list and they're not a particularly dangerous shark

[rev]

Crawf you never said anything about shark fishing, you stated fishing in general terms.
I've yet to see anyone go fishing for a shark off a metropolitan jetty.
There might be an odd occassion once a blue moon when some dumb ass actually goes and tries unsuccessfully, but it's not like there are people sitting on the jetty trying to catch a shark. There are actually quite a few people during summer nights who fish and crab off the metro. jetties, and they wouldn't put up with some idiots coming along trying to bait sharks into shallow waters. Personally I'd kick the shit out of such people.

And what do you mean by fisheries?
Commercial fishers are out at sea in boats.
The people you see fishing/crabbing on jetties are recreational fishers.

And I believe it's only white pointers which are an endangered/protected species. Might be a few more.

[Mants]

it's a only a bronze whaler.....

It's still a shark.

probably the most placid shark that swims in our waters. attacks on humans are quite uncommon. don't need to worry about these fellas. we had one swim past the boat we were on last summer, off Semaphore. It came near the back of the boat and then swam away further off shore. wasn't very big...probably about 1.8m
the majority of reports you hear are just fear-mongering. for the amount of people who swim in the ocean daily, shark attacks are very few and far between. you're more likely to be hit by a car.
i've caught gummy and school sharks before off jetties at rapid bay and wallaroo. should this be banned too? where do you draw the line?

[peas_and_corn]

I don't understand, so please explain. How exactly does stopping the fishing of sharks prevent shark attacks? Does hauling them out of the ocean attract them or something?

[crawf]

Crawf you never said anything about shark fishing, you stated fishing in general terms.
I've yet to see anyone go fishing for a shark off a metropolitan jetty.
There might be an odd occassion once a blue moon when some dumb ass actually goes and tries unsuccessfully, but it's not like there are people sitting on the jetty trying to catch a shark. There are actually quite a few people during summer nights who fish and crab off the metro. jetties, and they wouldn't put up with some idiots coming along trying to bait sharks into shallow waters. Personally I'd kick the shit out of such people.

And what do you mean by fisheries?
Commercial fishers are out at sea in boats.
The people you see fishing/crabbing on jetties are recreational fishers.

My mistake, I meant recreation fishers.

I knew people would disagree with me on this topic, which is fair enough. Though after seeing two sharks caught of my local beach in a space of week it has the potential of tempting more people fishing for sharks along popular metropolitan beaches, which the SLSC have stated it puts recreation swimmers at risk of being attacked.

I'll be first to admit my knowledge on the fishing industry is very little, but I thought having countless people fishing off metropolitan jetties increases the chance of more shark sightings. Obviously I was wrong.