$600K+ for four months to carry out shark cull

Cost of implementing shark catch and kill policy revealed as Premier insists it will continue

 The WA Government is paying more than $600,000 over four months to a contract fisherman to implement its catch and kill shark policy.

The fisherman is being paid more than $5,700 a day to set and monitor drum lines, and kill and dispose sharks larger than three metres in the South West.

Contract details posted on the government's tender website show the fisherman will receive more than $610,000 for the season.

Speaking earlier today, the Premier Colin Barnett insisted the Government's controversial catch-and-kill shark policy will last at least another year, despite mounting criticism.

The first drum lines were set in the state's South West over the weekend, and within 24 hours a shark was caught, shot in the head with a rifle, and dumped out at sea.

Images of a fisherman holding a rifle to the animal's head have outraged activists, who have promised to step up their campaign against the policy.

Some Liberal MPs have also expressed concern about the way the policy has been implemented, but Mr Barnett has told the ABC the program will run for at least another year.

"I believe this program needs to run through the remainder of this summer, and next summer, and I think then we've probably got a better perspective to assess it," he said.

Mr Barnett has also admitted security has been increased around him due to the controversial policy.

The Department of Fisheries had to take over the strategy off Perth's beaches after the government said threats were made to a contractor, and the Premier's electorate office was vandalised by a man who claimed he was angry about the policy.

"I know police have taken seriously some of the threats that've been made to various people," Mr Barnett said.

He was asked whether security had been increased for him.

"Oh, to a small degree but I think everyone's aware those things have been happening," he said.

"I don't think they will change the public perception of government or the public actions of government at all."

Premier denies shark policy mishandled

Federal approval for WA's shark catch-and-kill policy only lasts until April; beyond that, it will face a full federal environmental assessment.

Mr Barnett has denied the policy had been mishandled.

"I don't think it has been done badly at all. This is a complex area; there's a lot of law, there's a lot of challenging issues around it," he said.

Four of the seven shark fatalities over the past three years have been in the South West, and the Premier says for that reason the policy is likely to stay in force there longer than in the metropolitan area.

"No-one really likes the idea of killing sharks, but if the numbers are reduced and other measures improve public safety, I'm optimistic that any sort of shark mitigation, or the baiting program, might be comparatively short-lived in metropolitan beaches," he said.

"But I believe it's likely to be longer standing in the South West where clearly there are more, and very large sharks. I think the problem is more intense in that south-west corner of the state, than it is in Perth beaches."

The Premier also weighed in on the debate over what kind of shark was captured and killed on the weekend.

Under the Government's policy, any great white, tiger or bull shark larger than three metres is killed if it is caught on drum lines.

Vision from the first catch shows the fisherman identify the animal as a bull shark, but experts like Hugh Edwards have insisted it was actually a tiger shark.

Yesterday, the WA Fisheries Minister Ken Baston said he was not bothered by the contradicting views, saying the animal was definitely one of the three species of sharks identified in the policy.

That was followed by a statement issued by the Department of Premier and Cabinet, saying the fisherman had used "onboard documentation" to confirm the animal was a bull shark.

It would not clarify what that documentation was.

Today, Mr Barnett backed the fisherman.

"It was a bull shark; Fisheries have confirmed that," he said.

"We're talking about a commercial, experienced fisherman. I would trust the fisherman to identify the shark."


big john's picture

Posts: 8725

Date Joined: 20/07/06

Fair enough

Wed, 2014-01-29 19:26

Be plenty of overheads running an operation like that.

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MattMiller's picture

Posts: 4171

Date Joined: 15/06/09

Yep,

Wed, 2014-01-29 19:42

got to consider the cost of being on the water and loss of earnings conducting their regular fishing operation.

 

Posts: 5738

Date Joined: 18/01/12

 and putting up with all the

Wed, 2014-01-29 19:49

 and putting up with all the crap, which wont end in April, some imbecile will make it his mission to set an example.

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The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.

Everyone's just winging it.

 

Jody's picture

Posts: 1578

Date Joined: 19/04/07

Too right

Wed, 2014-01-29 19:48

 especially his insurance premiums 

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 TWiZTED

Posts: 315

Date Joined: 20/01/10

+ travel

Wed, 2014-01-29 19:57

old dunsborough down to grace town twice a day

Codhead's picture

Posts: 159

Date Joined: 25/11/11

Tiger

Wed, 2014-01-29 20:06

Still think it looked like a Tiger shark but what the heck would I know!

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carnarvonite's picture

Posts: 8619

Date Joined: 24/07/07

Estimate

Wed, 2014-01-29 20:15

My estimate on one of the other threads was around 4-5 thousand but it seems as though he's making a nice profit at our expense

Posts: 2946

Date Joined: 03/03/10

so bloody what

Wed, 2014-01-29 20:17

its a job , he needs to get paid , he has a family to feed , unlike the dreadlocked tree hugging greenies that are all on the dole and are professional protesters , to them I say get back to uni and finish of your environmental degree because jobs in that field are fast drying up

big john's picture

Posts: 8725

Date Joined: 20/07/06

It's happened

Wed, 2014-01-29 20:19

It was only a matter of time, I actually agree with one of your comments petermac!

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Jigs available online in my web store!

carnarvonite's picture

Posts: 8619

Date Joined: 24/07/07

No complaint

Wed, 2014-01-29 20:32

No complaint from me, I'd love to be doing it but would disagree with dumping the carcass' because that's a waste of good money going to feed sea lice when something could be done with it.

Barnett would have to change the law that prohibits pros from landing big sharks for it to happen, the law came in about 8-9 years back if I remember correctly.

MattMiller's picture

Posts: 4171

Date Joined: 15/06/09

He said

Wed, 2014-01-29 20:37

on ABC yesterday that he's looking at bringing the carcasses in and donating them to Fisheries/Murdoch Uni and other interested parties

chris raff's picture

Posts: 3257

Date Joined: 09/02/10

Ken oath , he deserves that

Wed, 2014-01-29 21:22

Ken oath , he deserves that much if not more .. not only for the work they are doing ..with all the emotion that has been stirred up the fishos and their families safety are at risk from some nutter losing the plot as well .

PS .. I wonder if the fisheries drumline workers are looking to renegotiate their salaries .

 

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Paul H's picture

Posts: 2104

Date Joined: 18/01/07

As above wonder how much the

Thu, 2014-01-30 08:50

As above wonder how much the federal Government is paying green group protesters out in dole payments every four months. I bet its more than $600,000.

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Willlo's picture

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Date Joined: 07/10/11

Thats cheap

Thu, 2014-01-30 08:59

Thats cheap Carnarvonite,maybe you have been out of the buisness to long mate.For me to hire a launch to run gear out to the ships at anchorage lets say about a 3 hour round trip using 60ltrs of diesel and 4 guys on board including the skipper will run you about $3800 a pop.

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