Western Australian Government abandons plans for private fishermen to shoot sharks off Perth beaches

The West Australian Government has abandoned plans to use commercial fishers to bait and destroy large sharks at popular Perth beaches, opting to use its fisheries department instead.

The fishers were to manage baited drum lines off Perth and South West beaches, catching and killing sharks over three metres in length.

However, Western Australian Fisheries Minister Ken Baston says threats from opponents have prompted a private fishing venture to pull out of the process.

Minister Baston explained "we had a successful tenderer, but that tenderer did pull out with the worry of threats to himself and his family."

Minister Baston said other fishing venture had applied for the tender but had been rejected.

The Minister says that while a commercial fishing outfit will still manage South West beaches, the metropolitan area will be patrolled by officers from the Western Australian Department of Fisheries.

He said he hoped the use of fisheries officers was a short-term measure, and that a professional fishing outfit would eventually take over.

The Western Australian Government's 'shark management' strategy was to have seen sharks longer than three metres found near popular beaches being caught, shot and dumped back into the sea.

However, scientists and animal welfare groups labelled the strategy barbaric and even counter-productive while the plan also led to considerable public opposition.

The Greens and animal welfare groups are also formulating a legal challenge to the Western Australian Government's shark cull, claiming the move would fall foul of State, Federal and international obligations.

4th January 2014 - WESTERN AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT PLANS TO SHOOT SHARKS LONGER THAN THREE METRES

14th October 2013 - MILESTONE FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA’S SHARK ALERT SYSTEM

21st August 2012 - HIGH-TECH WARNING SIGNS FOR PERTH BEACHES?

10th July 2012 - WA SAYS NO TO SHARK CAGE TOURISM