Shark attack deaths prompt calls for drumlines, culls, and personal protection

Drumlines, culls, shark tagging and personal protection devices have been thrust back into the spotlight after three spearfishers died in fatal shark attacks over the past two months.

Two spearfishers died in waters off WA's coast, while a third man died spearfishing in far north Queensland in May.

Spearfishing has grown in popularity in recent years, but the sport also brings inherent risks, with spearfishers often diving in deep ocean waters, increasing their chance of a shark encounter.

Since the deaths, marine experts and politicians have called for programs including selective culls, or the reintroduction of catch-and-release drumlines to be considered.

Call for SMART drumline

Esperance-based abalone fisherman Marc Payne understands the risks predatory sharks pose and the measures used to mitigate attacks.

"I'm very passionate about the situation we're in with the great white sharks," he said

In 2019, he helped the WA government run the state's SMART drumline trial until it was axed in 2021 after only two white sharks were caught in two years.

The state's chief scientist at the time said the trial was not effective and did not reduce the risk of attacks.

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Mr Payne said that despite WA moving away from the practice, it had continued to be successfully used in other states and should be reconsidered.

"If you look at the New South Wales Smart drumline program, they've got around 1,000 great whites, so those sharks have been tracked," he said.

"I believe the smart drumline trial in Western Australia, if it had the flexibility and the model was set out in the right way, I believe it would be very successful."

The tagging of sharks continues in WA, but not with fixed drumlines.

Bond University associate professor Daryl McPhee said drumlines formed a significant part of the shark mitigation strategy in Queensland and New South Wales and had improved over the years.

"I definitely think SMART drumlines are something that the WA government should reconsider, given there have been two fatalities in WA in the last month," he said.

"They have been trialled in Western Australia, but the technology and understanding of them has improved significantly."

A NSW government spokesperson said more than 300 SMART drumlines had been deployed along the state's coastline, and had tagged about 2,800 sharks.

Personal protection preferred

WA Premier Roger Cook ruled out the reintroduction of drumlines, instead backing the state's current tag and trace program.

"Our shark mitigation strategies are nation-leading and in terms of the work we're doing through our Shark Smart WA app, continuing to tag sharks so that we've got sight in terms of where they're occurring," he said.

Some politicians, including Albany MP Scott Leary, said a selective culling might be a solution, but that idea has been rejected by Mr Cook.

In addition to tagging and tracking sharks, the state Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development offers rebates on some personal deterrents.

Luke Pascoe survived a shark attack while spearfishing off the coast of Albany in WA's south in 2022.

He continues spearfishing but now employs several deterrents, including a personal device to reduce the risk of future attacks.

"I've adopted a shark shield, a float and a float line, keeping that catch out there a little bit further away and utilising a device that emits an electronic frequency into the water to deter any potential predators," he said.

Mr Pascoe said nothing could eliminate the risk, but the combined measures afforded some protection and eased his mind.

Not all protections effective

A wide range of personal shark deterrents exists, including surf wax, magnets or eye-stickers for surfboards, but Flinders University shark ecologist Charlie Huveneers said their effectiveness varied.

Dr Huveneers said electrical-field-emitting devices were one of the most effective products available.

"For the most shark bites, that includes white sharks or great white sharks, tiger sharks, bull sharks ... a variety of different electric deterrent products have shown that they can reduce the risk of a shark bite by 60 per cent," he said.

Dr Huveneers said wetsuits specially made to reduce the damage caused by a shark bite had also shown promise, but were not a silver bullet.

"Instead of maybe having 200 stitches, you might end up with only 20 stitches," he said.

"There's still going to be some level of punctures, but it's not going to be to the same extent as if you were just wearing a normal wetsuit."