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T H E QU E S T I ON O N E V E RYON E S' T EETH b y pe te r r i g b y

W

A is now being branded Shark Attack Capital Of the World. With the death of surfer Chris boyd at Umbies near gracetown late last year taking the state toll to 11 fatalities since 2000, even diehard "don't cull" crew are changing their tune.

Boards are gathering fly spots and dust in garages from Esperance to Ningaloo, even when it's pumping. Meanwhile, once intrepid deep divers are sticking to puddle-like pools, reckoning that Noahs don't want to run aground trying to make a meal of them.

Feeling the pressure to act, WA premier Colin barnett (some wags have crowned him Cullin' barnett) and his rather benighted government gave the order to lay 72 drum-lines a kilometre off perth and southwest beaches. it's a radical move (some say illegal), since the great white is an internationally protected species.

Sharks that are caught on the lines and haven't died in the process are shot and disposed of further out to sea. they are aiming at reducing the numbers of dangerous sharks over three metres in length, primarily great whites, tigers and bulls.

Well, that's the plan, anyway: but they'll probably catch just about every other marine creature with a penchant for wolfing down baits on big hooks. barnett's announcement sparked protests Australia-wide, with around 5000 people alone turning out at perth's Cottesloe beach one Saturday morning in January to voice their opposition to the shark baiting. A few weeks later, over 6000 people turned out again at Cott, saying leave the sharks alone. Similar gatherings were staged at beaches across the country.

Apart from killing many varieties of shark that are no threat to humans (some now very rare), the anti shark kill groups say the baits in the water may in fact attract more sharks to our shores, not reduce the numbers.

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A Carcharodon Carcharias demonstrating why it's more comonly known as a White Pointer.|| cahir

Taj Burrow concealed in an aquatic safe-house at one of the breaks close by his WA home. || stacy

"I don't see why It's any dIfferent fIshIng for sharks.” taj Burrow

The theory is that the bigger sharks can pick up the distress of smaller sharks and other marine animals caught on the lines, and cruise in to the area.

Consequently there are two heavily divided camps: those that want the sharks – great whites in particular – thinned out in our waters, and those that don't. It's shaping up to be a quite barny.

The WA Government put out a tender to shark fishermen to lay lines off Perth beaches as well as further south in the renowned Capes region, which boasts some of the best surf in Australia. There have been several great white attacks in the area in the last 10 years.

Fishermen got the contract in the southwest, but the tender applicants got such pressure from the anti-cull groups in Perth, that the government said Fisheries had to do the job. Even they have to deal with environmentalists trying to foil their efforts.

It's been a while since Australian environmentalists have arced up to such high voltage over a single issue. They say their volunteer frogmen are going to swim in by stealth and remove the baits from the drum lines.

Others intend to lock themselves to the drum-line fishermen's boats, a bit like the Greenies do with bulldozers in our decimated first growth forests. However most fishermen, being fishermen, will probably apply the gaff or fish club to these earnest human limpets, so a few sore heads and fingers may result.

The WA State Government (which hasn't had too many wins since it was re-elected last year) isn't backing down or going soft on the issue and says it will slap anyone interfering with the drum-lines or the contracted fisherman with a $25,000 fine.

While arguably the majority of surfers globally are themselves strong advocates of preserving the creatures in our increasingly stressed and fragile oceans, many are now saying enough is enough.

Chris Boyd's death was the last straw. Something had to be done to make the waters safe. There have been six fatal attacks in the last two years alone in WA – all thought to be great whites.

Times have changed radically. The notion of scratching out 200-metres at Margs Main Break in the moonlight before dawn is just not the done thing anymore; and if it's done at all, it's usually a certified lone fruitcake, or unapprised foreigner, adrift out there on the Bubble.

Taj Burrow, arguably WA's best-known surfer, says growing up in the waters off Yallingup he never used to think about sharks (and he wasn't the only one).

But now "its on my mind every time I go surfing."

"Everyone is spooked, including myself," says the West Aussie ace. "It's all anybody talks about. It's a very heated subject and people are getting quite worked up over it, understandably.

"The fact is, the number of sightings and attacks has risen to ridiculous levels and I think something needs to be done.

"I feel like the ocean in this area has been pretty raped of all sea life, but sharks have always been left alone. It surely has to be a bit out of balance by now. I don't see why it's any different fishing for sharks."

Taj says that he would prefer to see more legal fishing for large threatening sharks than the drum-line proposition, but appreciates the government taking some kind of action.

Asked if he has had any close encounters with the men in grey suits, he added.

"Yes, plenty. A big great white at J-Bay was the scariest."

Paul Paterson, another Yallingup born and bred charger, says there has been quite a bit of misinformation about the government's controversial shark proposal.

"I think the media has sensationalised the word 'cull', says Patto. "That is never going to happen and never will.

"There is simply a shark management program that has been put in place to give the millions of beach goers some peace of mind before entering the water.

"We have an estimated population of 10,000 great whites on our coastline in the West. They travel as far as South Oz and back again. If we were to 'cull' that population we would need to kill a few hundred great whites in one particular place, and that will never happen."

He says the drum-line approach should be trialled.

"I support the government action for a shark management program," he says.

"Whether the drums lines will help or not is yet to be established. What we do know, is that it helps in many other places around the world with similar problems. More shark deterrents are being produced, which is a positive. So let's hope

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In August of 2010 more than 100 surfers formed a giant heart shape in the water at South Point to commemorate the death of Nicholas Edwards who was killed by a shark at the same location.|| ord

eventually technology can help solve our shark problem, because it's only going to get worse."

Margaret River Boardriders committee member and one of WA's best surfers Tom Innes said there was plenty of consultation about how to deal with the sharks.

"There were around 40 stakeholders consulted in the enquiry to decide what the government can to do to help reduce the increasing trend of fatal shark attacks in WA waters," says Tom. "Margaret River Boardriders Club, Margaret River Recreational Surfers Inc and Yallingup Boardriders came together as one stakeholder addressing the issue, and presented recommendations as to what could be done. It was based on research carried out in other places that have successfully implemented strategies to reduce the risks of shark attacks.

"After the 40 odd stakeholders were consulted and the issue taken to Cabinet, the recommendations made by our local sporting groups have been partially or mostly reflected in the legislation.

"I am supportive of the decision made to follow a proven method to help reduce the risk of shark attack," he said.

Tom, who has surfed the waves on the Cape all his life, believes ignorance often underlies the environmentalists' and anti shark kill groups' argument to protect large dangerous sharks.

"I have heard from a lot of social media trolls and environmentalists who have little or no knowledge of the South West region of WA, and who attack anyone with an opinion other than their own," he says.

"These 'peoples' actions' make me think of them as if they are from extremist religious cults or cultures. I prefer not to get involved with anyone in these emotional debates. I make an effort to steer clear of environmentalists with lack of care for their own safety, and who are willing to perform criminal acts and endanger their own lives in order to make a public statement that is not constructive.

"I simply want to see the increasing trend of shark attacks and attack fatalities reduced so people are able to enjoy the world-renowned Australian beach culture in WA, without heightened fear and growing risk of being eaten alive by a shark when entering the water.

"WA has been labelled 'The Death Coast', not an attractive tag by any means," added Tom.

S

eeking wise, unbiased counsel from someone who knows a thing or two about sharks, we popped around to see Hugh Edwards - author, diver and shark expert extraordinaire.

Hugh's pad in the Perth beach suburb of Swanbourne looks like a wing of a maritime museum, absolutely festooned with relics from sunken ships, shark jaws, shells, coral, hooks, underwater cameras …you name it. There's even the wizened, mummified head of a tiger shark sitting on a chair in his living room.

Hugh said the tiger was responsible for a shark attack back in the 1920s, before the humans got him. A strange cushion, indeed.

Now 80, he has watched and studied sharks in over 65 years of diving up and down the WA coast, and has an uncanny knowledge of the great white. He's just published his 32nd book, and this one is simply called Shark.

A Member of the Order of Australia, Hugh was instrumental in the discovery of important 17th and 18th century shipwrecks on the WA coast and was a leader of diving expeditions to them. He was the primary finder of the 1629 Batavia wreck and the 1727 Zeewyk wreck.

Back in the 1970s he had a travelling exhibition called Shark World, where he would show off a giant, dead, very whiffy, great white he'd caught to enthralled visitors at Royal Shows.

The old sea dog and legendary waterman was happy to chat about the current shark problems in WA and elsewhere in Australia. While he is adamantly against the WA government's policy of killing sharks on drum-lines, he offers some first-hand insights into these incredible fish.

To cull or noT To cull? ThaT’s The big debaTe aT The momenT. WhaT do you Think, hugh?

Culling is a seriously bad idea, because it won't solve the problem and it kills a lot of sharks not associated with what we regard as a crime against ourselves. It's a purely political expedient to satisfy the revenge-seekers. It makes no sense and would cost the taxpayer a lot of money - many millions, in fact.

WhaT’s your reacTion To colin barneTT’s plan To lay drum-lines a kilomeTre off perTh and The souThWesT beaches?

I think it's morally reprehensible. They don't know what they are doing. They should be using research to better understand these animals and protect peo-

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Main: An incredibly vivid picture of the creature which so often haunts our imaginatons. || cahir Inset: Former shark catcher and prolific shark writer, Hugh Edwards.

ple. It is a big mistake. Thousands of people turned out at Cottesloe to protest against the drum lines. These were people from all walks of life, and it shows just how strong the public sentiment is about this issue. There are a lot of people out there who want them protected and not kill, as they should be.

Why do you think We are experiencing more shark attacks in Wa?

We have to remember three important things. Firstly, until well after the Second World War, Australians didn't go into the water that much. They'd have a bit of a dip and a swim – that was it. Then the surfing craze struck in the 1960s and 1970s. Scuba diving and snorkelling also became very popular. A much higher percentage of Australians now use the ocean for entertainment and recreation.

Our population has increased considerably, so we have more people in the water, and we have more sharks. Secondly, the great white has been protected since the early 2000s and there are more of them in our waters. Thirdly, the food that the great white relies on, in particular the fur seal, which was almost wiped out in the early 1800s, and has now come back and doubled almost every year in population. This has reached the point where fur seals are now coming as far north as Rottnest, where we had never seen them before. It's a case of more seals, more food, more sharks, and more people. Hence, you have a confrontation. many of the attacks in Wa have been attributed to great Whites. What do We need to knoW about this notorious shark?

Something that no one talks about, or even considers, is that great white sharks are actually quite intelligent. They are probably at least as intelligent as a dog.

It's true that they function on basic instinct, but there is more than that. This is

a shark that has lived in its mother's womb and eaten its companion babies – so you get one shark that's eaten the other four or five. From the human perspective, they are not a nice animal. That shark will grow to between 20 and 40 years old. During its lifetime it will have this background of basic instinct, which has developed over 350 million years of evolution, plus its experience – and we are a part of that. Essentially, we are not on the shark's menu. But experience is allowing the sharks to learn about us. There are more boats and ships out there, as well as people in the water. They see us walking on the beach. The sharks must be very aware of us. I'd say a lot of sharks go past and observe people using the ocean without them even being aware of it. It may well be that the sharks are becoming more savvy about humans, and their potential as lunch or dinner. So we might get more shark attacks out of this growing familiarity.

What kind of behaviour have you seen that makes you think they are more intelligent than is believed?

They used to come alongside our boat and there would be a great big black eye scanning all of us on deck (they can see well out of water) and we used to call it 'counting heads.' And that's exactly what it was. They would have a look at you and pick up your heartbeat, which would often speed up, boom, boom, boom.

Then they would go off and come back again quickly, pretty scary. This is what I mean when I say they are getting familiar with people. Attacks often involved two sharks. One would act like a decoy, hanging out in front of the prey, attracting its attention, and then another would come in and hit from behind. I knew

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They are a very efficient killing machine, having evolved over hundreds of millions of years. If you have a pee in the water, the shark can detect it from about 1km away. When they get closer, they pick up the heartbeat of prey, and they have very sophisticated detection organs called the ampullae of lorenzini in their snouts – electrical field sensors that allow them to hunt at night. In an attack they can steam in at about 40km an hour, which is enough to boost a one-ton animal several metres out of the water. That's power.

We caught a number of big sharks for our Shark World display back in the 1970s.

One was an 18ft white shark that weighed as much as a VW Kombi van, with jaws that could take you down without even touching the sides. tHe wHite Pointer is obviously tHe most dangerous of tHe lot?

Absolutely. tHere Has been a connection made to tHe wHale migrations uP and down tHe wa coast attracting more sHarks. is tHis a valid observation?

Since we stopped whaling back in the late 1970s, I believe the humpback whale population has been increasing at about 10% every year. Therefore, every 10 years it doubles. We also have sperm and southern right whales. Although the humpback is the whale that it follows the coast, as it heads all the way up to the Kimberley to give birth. The sharks feed on old and sick whales on the way up, and sickly and weak calves on the way down. They don't have to kill the whales themselves, but when they die they feed off them. This is an important part of their behaviour.

There are patterns around the world, where other species' cyclical feeding and birthing behaviour attracts white sharks. For example, the Farallon Islands off San Francisco have an elephant seal migration, and the great whites take advantage of it. They arrive at the islands during the calving season to get the pups, which haven't learnt the ways of the world. It also happens big-time in South Africa, and probably here in WA, as well. wHat do you tHink of tHe tHeory of rogue sHarks, or one animal tHat’s resPonsible for numerous attacks on Humans?

Great whites are pretty much always on the move, and cover great distances, but I think there are some cases of rogue sharks or cyclical attacks by the same animal.

The five attacks we had in WA from 2011 to 2012 had a very similar modus operandi. We know it was a big shark involved in each attack. Two of the victims were swallowed totally, two were bitten completely in half; and the fifth one, if they hadn't managed to get his remains into the boat instantly, I'm sure would have gone too. Now this is a large shark capable of eating the whole lot, and may have been the same shark.

Those five attacks were chillingly similar. They were like the one where Geoff Brazier was killed at the Abrolhos. The shark hit him in the middle, ate one half, turned around, ate the other half and that was it. If you'd blinked your eyes, you'd have missed it. In the attack at Wedge Island, the guy was completely consumed, as well. Gone after two hits.

Then you look at the recent attack in Esperance, where the diver was bitten on the head and the shark let him go. Or last week's attack near Gracetown which took off an arm and some of the victim's leg, but it didn't consume him. This would suggest that these were not the same shark as the attacks between 2011-12, so there are variables. so, could a sHark tHat eats someone wHole Have been resPonsible for five or six of tHese fatalities? it’s Possible.

Fisheries say that because there is no proof, there are no rogue sharks. But there are well-documented incidents of rogue or serial attacks. In America in 1616, there was the Mad Shark in New York State. They had one in the Red Sea a few

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It's reassuring to know someone is watching from above when you are in the lineup in WA. || MACFARLANE

How dangerous a Hunter are tHey?

" Culling is a seriously bad idea, beCause it won’t solve the problem and it kills a lot of sharks not assoCiated with what we regard as a Crime against ourselves." hugh edwards

of two sharks that demonstrated this behaviour, they were two smart old ladies – very like female lions hunting in Africa. That kind of behaviour involves thought, intelligence and basic planning. I've seen them bluffing seals. A seal would get up on the rocks. The shark would pop its head up out of the water and the seal would panic and jump in the water to try and escape, and the shark would grab it. Of course, they can't get up on the rocks, so they were scaring the seals into their domain.

Then there's the sharks – maybe shark – that carried out the attacks at Rottnest and Geographe Bay. Both attacks were guys going down the anchor line. Did the shark hear the anchor go down and think, 'Mmm, what's happening here?' and go and have a look? They do a lot of things that take intelligence and thought.

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The prevelance of shark attacks and sightings in recent years has also made it more likely to see an empty wave roll through unridden in WA ||

years back, where they had never had a shark attack before, but suddenly had five attacks in a week – one fatal.

And in the Swan River we've had a series of attacks in sight of what is now the CBD. One of those sharks was caught in 1974 by Brian Stagg. It was a female bronze whaler. Since it was caught in 1974 there hasn't been another attack in the river.

In addition to this, we have two guys who are completely unaccounted for. Usually, if somebody drowns, the body floats. There was a guy at Mullaloo, a good strong swimmer, walked into waist-deep water, and was never seen again and no body was ever found. There was another bloke at Yanchep, who swam across to the reef and disappeared and has never been seen since. In that instance, a great white was sighted something like 8kms up the coast.

So, perhaps these two disappearances are other ones to add to the list of attacks. I think you can say with some justification that there have been instances of rogue shark attacks. I personally think that the modus operandi of the WA attacks between 2011 and 2012 had the hallmarks of a rogue shark – but who knows?

You mentioned the Swan RiveR. iS it Safe to Swim theRe nowadaYS?

I wouldn't swim for quids up around the Garratt Road Bridge. It's a hot spot. The female bronze whalers go up there to breed, and they are very territorial looking after their littlies. There was a guy I knew from the West Australian who used to go fishing off the wall at the Swan Brewery, and he'd catch sharks regularly. the uS ocean ReSeaRch gRoup oceaRch offeRed to help the wa goveRnment ReSeaRch and tag ShaRkS, but got ShoRt ShRift. waS thiS wRong?

Yes. It's the group you see doing work with Great Whites on the Discovery Channel. OCEARCH offered to come to Australia, bring all their equipment and tag sharks. I cannot understand, for the life of me, why the Premier isn't taking that offer with both hands. They have a large vessel with a lifting platform on the side, which can handle big sharks.

Most of our tagging is currently done in South Australia. But it's mainly immature Great white s about three metres long, because they are the only ones they can handle alongside a little Fisheries boats. OCEARCH, on the other hand, are getting the big mamas, the real big Whites – and those are the ones that are causing us problems. Obviously, OCEARCH would get a benefit from coming

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ORD

here for their program and films, since we are now the "Shark attack capital of the world"; but why Fisheries and the Premier are not accepting this great offer, I can't understand. how effective iS a device like a ShaRk Shield? doeS it Stop a gReat white?

They probably are of some use and are worth wearing. Although the abalone diver in Coffin Bay – unfortunate name – who was hit by two great whites had a shark shield on his leg and another one on his airline. It didn't help. That was another incident where the diver was totally consumed. aRe theRe moRe out theRe theSe daYS?

Yes. The numbers used to be kept down by people catching them, professional fishermen in particular. The net fishermen in South Australia were banned from doing that because of the protection of the Great white , so the ones they were catching are now not removed from the general stock.

It's a little ironic, really. The poor tiger and whaler sharks. Nobody's making them protected, and they are only responsible for a fraction of the attacks.

We all started diving in 1946, but it wasn't until 1968, over 20 years, that we had a shark attack, when Bob Bartle got taken at Jurien Bay. Nobody in WA had seen a white shark while diving before then. But when the first Great white attack happened people became interested. There are definitely more of them around now. how would You catch a gReat white?

I had major instruction from the late Ted 'Sharky' Nelson, the famous Fremantle shark fisherman, and we had a system for catching whites, which is very effective.

We would use old flywheels as drag anchors. You never put an anchor in the ground that can break a line or allow the hook to straighten out. We had big thick hooks that would go around a bucket, because unless they get around the jawbone of a shark, he's going to straighten the hook out.

From what I've seen on TV, Fisheries is using big fixed anchors that, if they ever got a shark on them in the first place, are going to allow the line to break, and little hooks that will straighten out. So I suppose it's a case of 'Cobbler, stick to your trade.'

Fisheries should get on with research and do it better. But if you are going to employ a shark fisherman and his boat, and his crew, it's going to cost a lot of money. The Premier might just as well save the money, because they are almost certainly not go-

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The invention of the electric light helped quell our fears of the dark but can science find a solution to our fears of the shark? || cahir

ing to catch the shark that did it, but they are going to kill other sharks. In any case, it's not going to stop the attacks.

When it comes to the local swimming beaches, the best they can do is put in ocean pools, which could be done with removable nets or mesh fences. New South Wales does it very well – why can't we do it here?

When it comes to the local swimming beaches, the best they can do is put in ocean pools, which could be done with removable nets or mesh fences. New South Wales does it very well – why can't we do it here?

What about the surfers and divers Who venture out along our coast in search of isolated Waves and dive spots? several Wa attacks have occurred in places like this.

That's right, the main victims are surfers and divers. They are scattered from the South Australian border to Broome. The recent spate of fatal attacks has happened at Dunsborough, Busselton, Rottnest, Wedge Island, Georgraphe Bay, Cottesloe and Gracetown. That's spread over a huge area. These guys aren't going to be satisfied diving or surfing in a pool. So what they have to do is weigh up the risks and maybe wear a shark shield, which is not guaranteed, but it could help. do the seasons and times of day influence the frequency and probability of attacks?

When you look at the dates and daylight times, you don't get a lot of sense. Early in the morning and evening are bad times, but then many of the attacks have been right in the middle of the day. Once again: that's when most people are in the water. As far as seasons go, in WA we don't seem to get much in January and July.

We had an attack in 1925, then I don't think we had another until 1946, when a guy got his leg bitten off at City Beach. Then in 1993 a bloke called David Weir, an abalone diver, got taken on the south coast. But in the period 2000 until now, we've had 11.

The Australian "average" is a nonsense, because some areas will have no attacks

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for 15 years, then suddenly you will get five in successive years, and then you will get none again. Once more, this kind of pattern is an indicator that one shark might be responsible.

What is the great White’s usual method of attack?

They prefer using stealth and coming up from underneath. But it varies. The Wedge Island attack was in fairly shallow water. Ken Crew at Cottesloe was in waist-deep water. His friend hopped up on the reef when the shark tried to get him, that's how deep the water was. That was a big Great white . It got Ken's leg. The more accomplished shark of recent years, if I can call it that, probably would have bitten the victims in half. I think that shark knew what to do and had its own attack method. any scary experiences in your oWn dealings With sharks?

When we were filming them from underwater in cages in the 1960s, we sometimes got a bit of a fright, because they would have a go at the cages and try and get in. It was interesting to say the least, when you are touching the nose of a powerful six-metre monster trying to ram its way into a cage to get you. I certainly wouldn't do it today, but in those days, when I was 30 years old, we all thought we were immortal.

Recently on a trip to the Abrolhos, we were doing some tow searches, which is when you are out behind the boat being dragged along. You feel pretty nervous about it, especially when a friendly dolphin or seal pops up next to you and you go, 'Yikes!'

The last day of that trip we went in to have a beer on the island, and on the beach was one of our favourite old sea lions. He was sprawled on the sand and he had a huge shark bite in his back. He had managed to drag himself up the sand, but was dead as a doornail with blood running down the beach.

We were swimming there two days before. It wasn't great for the confidence of our divers.