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Shark cull: nationwide protests against 'catch and kill' policy in WA Shark cull: nationwide protests against 'catch and kill' policy in WA
(about 1 hour later)
Thousands of protesters gathered at Cottesloe beach Thousands of West Australians rallied at Perth's Cottesloe beach on Saturday, calling for an end to the state government's contentious "catch-and-kill" shark policy.
in Perth on Saturday to voice their anger at Western At the same time thousands more protesters gathered on Manly beach in Sydney carrying placards, wearing foam shark fins
Australia's controversial shark "catch-and-kill" policy. and chanting "stop the cull!".
At the same time thousands more gathered on Manly beach in Sydney to protest against the policy, carrying placards, wearing foam shark fins and chanting "stop the cull!". Hundreds of people also attended rallies in Glenelg, in Adelaide's south-west, at beaches in Victoria and Queensland and in New Zealand.
Hundreds of people also attended rallies in Glenelg, in Adelaide's south-west, and at beaches in Victoria and Queensland. The protest came hours after an under-size two-metre shark, believed to be a tiger shark, was pulled from a baited drum line off Leighton beach by Fisheries officers.
In WA, a female activist chained herself to a Department of Fisheries vessel, one of two fisheries boats being used catch sharks with baited hooks. Police said emergency services had to cut her free. The animal, the second to be killed under the program, was dumped further offshore.
Activists said the protest prevented the boat's departure for two hours. The policy, introduced after a fatal attack off Gracetown in November, intends to target tiger, bull and great white sharks longer than three metres that come within a kilometre of the shore.
Earlier on Saturday, a 19-year-old woman was issued a move-on noticed after she attached herself with a thumb lock to a Fisheries vessel at Fremantle boat harbour. She is expected to be later summonsed for trespassing.
Another rally at Cottesloe, the home suburb of WA premier Colin Barnett, on January 4 drew an estimated 4,500 protesters while the event on Saturday attracted about 6,000 people with speakers including Greens leader Christine Milne and state Labor leader Mark McGowan.
"Rights, rights, rights for great whites," the crowd chanted.
One placard read: "Sharks are more important than human recreation."
The Liberal-led government believes a string of fatal attacks in WA waters in recent years has dented tourism, particularly the diving industry, and says beachgoers must be protected.
But Virgin Airlines boss Sir Richard Branson, who is fighting China's shark fin trade, told a local radio station on Friday that the catch-and-kill policy would backfire, driving away tourism.
Barnett, who is currently in Africa for a mining conference, has come under immense pressure to call off the cull, including having the windows of his Cottesloe office smashed by a protester.
"I'm really angry and incensed," she said. "We are going into their [sharks'] environment. Why can't we co-exist?""I'm really angry and incensed," she said. "We are going into their [sharks'] environment. Why can't we co-exist?"
She said more people were killed by falling coconuts every year than by sharks.She said more people were killed by falling coconuts every year than by sharks.
The baited drum lines along WA's most popular beaches hooked undersized sharks within hours of being set on Friday. Shark expert Paul Sharp said the baited lines could increase the chances of an attack.
A one-metre tiger shark was caught off Cottesloe beach. The shark was later released, as was another tiger shark tangled in the drum line shortly afterwards.
The WA government said an increase in the number of shark attacks was detrimental to tourism and other holiday businesses.
In Manly, shark expert Paul Sharp said the baited lines could increase the chances of an attack.
"Simply having those baits in the water will result in excited and stimulated sharks," he said. "Like any other animal, when they are excited there is a greater risk of an accident happening.""Simply having those baits in the water will result in excited and stimulated sharks," he said. "Like any other animal, when they are excited there is a greater risk of an accident happening."
The baited drumlines are scheduled to remain in Perth's metropolitan and south-west waters until April 30.