Federal Canning MP Andrew Hastie has reignited the debate about sharks, calling for a dialogue between state and federal governments on the best way to protect swimmers and surfers off Western Australian beaches.
Responding to growing concerns in Mandurah after the fatal attack of surfer Ben Gerring earlier this year, Mr Hastie urged the Premier Colin Barnett and the federal environment minister to urgently discuss options to reduce the number of attacks.
“What we really want is clear-eyed, evidence-based public policy that is ideologically free and ultimately puts human preservation at the forefront of any decision,” he said.
“So when it comes to sharks I'm open minded about nets, commercial fishing and any other measure that makes it safer for Western Australians to swim at our beaches.”
Mr Hastie said there was no doubt shark nets had reduced the likelihood of attacks in the eastern states.
He said 80 white sharks had been caught in Queensland and over the summer of 2014 and 2015 around 10 great white sharks were trapped by the nets in New South Wales.
Mr Hastie said he was also open to lifting the protected status of white sharks.
“Put green ideology to one side and let's focus on preserving human life,” he said.
State Mandurah MP David Templeman said he did not support a cull of sharks but was open to considering shark nets.
However, he said he would still like to see smart buoys – technology used to detect sharks and alert beachgoers – trialled in WA.
“I think there a lot of people who are spooked, even about going into the water,” he said.
“When people are spooked that does effect where they go on holiday and where they go to visit and you’ve only got to look at northern New South Wales where a young fella was mauled last week.
“We love the ocean, this is a water loving region and the last thing we want to see is people put off enjoying the water.”
Premier Colin Barnett said on Thursday he opposed shark nets similar to those used in the eastern states.
“We don't favour the use of those shark nets – which basically are just killing machines – in Western Australia,” he told the ABC.
Liberal Dawesville candidate Zak Kirkup said he would support any science-based measure that helped reduce the number of shark attacks of Mandurah beaches.
“We still have a problem whereby no matter what measure we introduce, whether its commercial fishing or nets, the great white shark is still a protected species,” he said.
“That needs to change.
“Human life is paramount, the paramount responsibility of any government is to protect those people off our beaches.”
Labor Dawesville candidate Adam Woodage said the government needed to implement some measure to ensure public safety.
“I’m a surfer – when I’m out in the water I’m concerned, the wife is concerned, she doesn’t the want the kids going out too deep,” he said.
“We don’t want a knee jerk reaction, it needs to be a thought-out plan and I think it should've happened a lot sooner than this.”
The debate in Western Australia comes after former Prime Minister Tony Abbott called for shark nets to be deployed in regional NSW on Tuesday.