Shark culls among 'worst things' for beach safety, marine biologist says

Calls to cull sharks to improve beach safety are misguided and could even be counterproductive, according to a marine biologist. The debate intensified following a severe shark attack on a woman at Sydney's Coogee Beach last Saturday.

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Culling is predicated on an idea that you can reduce a local population but with these species that are highly highly migratory, you can't reduce that local population.

Leah Stewart, 35, a local mother and teacher, remains in critical but stable condition after sustaining severe injuries. While the state government has ruled out culling protected great white sharks, it is considering action against bull sharks, which New South Wales Premier Chris Minns described as a "real threat" in the harbor.

However, marine biologist Lawrence Chlebeck argues that culling is ineffective against highly migratory species like bull and tiger sharks, which travel along the entire east coast, and even great whites that cross to New Zealand and back. He explained that culling efforts, which aim to reduce a local population, fail when the animals are constantly moving.

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any method by which we would cull sharks inherently attracts sharks closer in and stimulates feeding behaviour.

Chlebeck further stated that any method involving culling inherently attracts sharks, essentially chumming the water and stimulating feeding behavior. He proposed that expanding drone surveillance programs, particularly during weekends and winter months, combined with public education, would be more effective in reducing risks. "We can protect wildlife and the public at beaches. It's not one or the other," he asserted.

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So this is chumming the water and fishing, baited drumlines, shark nets that entangle other wildlife.

Jodie Rummer, a professor of marine biology at James Cook University, echoed the sentiment, stating there is no scientific evidence that culling programs effectively remove problematic animals. She believes that removing predators from an ecosystem often leads to unintended negative consequences, a lesson learned across various scientific fields.

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All of these things are exciting sharks, so really the worst thing you can do for public safety is introduce methods that kill more animals right off our beaches.