Canning MP Andrew Hastie is concerned with the number of sharks in our waters after a recent report in to shark numbers revealed there were twice as many sharks in the south west than on the east coast.
The Commonwealth and Scientific Research Organisation (CSIRO) report found there was no increase in the south west population, part of which can be found off WA, and there had actually been a downward trend in adult numbers since the early 2000s.
However, the findings also showed that there were more of the species in the west compared to the east.
The research indicated the current adult population in eastern Australia is around 750 great white sharks [range: 470 to 1,030], with a survival rate of 93 per cent year-to-year.
Whereas, the south west population is estimated to have around 1,460 adult great white sharks [range: 760-2,250], with a survival rate above 90 per cent year-to-year.
In the report, CSIRO also reiterates the call from Fisheries Minister Dave Kelly for greater research into the south west population.
Mr Hastie said the WA government needed to take proactive measures to better protect WA ocean users from shark attacks.
“I wrote to Minister Frydenberg requesting further research into great white sharks in 2016, and so I’m pleased to see that more data is now available,” he said.
“The CSIRO report clearly shows there are more than twice as many sharks on the west coast as there are on the east.
“The weekend scare at the Rottnest Channel Swim is a case in point. Hundreds of competitors had to be pulled from the water when a great white was sited nearby.
“People need to understand the scale of the danger in WA – we can’t afford to be complacent about this issue. “There are many ways the state government can work with the federal government to make WA’s beaches safer.”
Mr Hastie used the NSW government as an example that recently secured a federal exemption allowing them to deploy nets on beaches during peak periods.
