Sharks:Protect them or kill them?

[lothian]

Originally Posted by thunderfly

I don't think sharks should be killed just for behaving like sharks. If there is a danger to swimmers at certain beaches then some kind of net or fence barrier should be erected at a certain distance out in the water so the sharks cannot swim through it and endanger swimmers. Perhaps this is (or has already been) done in certain places?

Many places do have shark nets to protect beaches , but unfortunately they are not barriers , they are simply there to kill the large sharks , and in doing so they also kill dolphins , turtles , seals etc . In South Africa their was a lot of pressure from environmentalists to have the nets removed . South African marine biologists were experimenting with electric pulse barriers a while back , but I don't know if that ever got out of the laboratory .

[lothian]

Statistically , they are relatively harmless to humans , Only about a dozen people a year are killed by them and their are plenty of videos showing divers swimming free with ' man eaters ' like Tiger sharks , Great whites etc with the sharks showing only mild curiosity , Elephants are way more dangerous at about 500 deaths a year , but sharks seem to create a primal fear in us that the more cuddly species don't .

[Dr Pepper]

Originally Posted by lothian

Statistically , they are relatively harmless to humans , Only about a dozen people a year are killed by them and their are plenty of videos showing divers swimming free with ' man eaters ' like Tiger sharks , Great whites etc with the sharks showing only mild curiosity , Elephants are way more dangerous at about 500 deaths a year , but sharks seem to create a primal fear in us that the more cuddly species don't .

....about the same chance as being killed by a falling coconut ;-) ....once you dispel the urban mythology exaggeration-but I see no great groundswell of calls to ban coconut trees from resorts.....

[thunderfly]

Originally Posted by lothian

Many places do have shark nets to protect beaches , but unfortunately they are not barriers , they are simply there to kill the large sharks , and in doing so they also kill dolphins , turtles , seals etc . In South Africa their was a lot of pressure from environmentalists to have the nets removed . South African marine biologists were experimenting with electric pulse barriers a while back , but I don't know if that ever got out of the laboratory .

The barrier should be a tough nylon net with holes small enough not to trap fish or other sea creatures or a type of rust proof 'chain link' fencing with similar sized holes. Surely, this could be done in this day and age.

[Wendigo]

Originally Posted by lothian

.... but sharks seem to create a primal fear in us that the more cuddly species don't .

Possibly connected to the fact when they do attack it is generally from beneath, and not always accompanied by a fin and catchy theme tune. Not knowing what lies beneath us when we are swimming is a true primal fear passed down from our ancestors. There is more chance of seeing most land animals prior to any attack. Sharks are amazing creatures and should be studied not destroyed.

[lothian]

Originally Posted by thunderfly

The barrier should be a tough nylon net with holes small enough not to trap fish or other sea creatures or a type of rust proof 'chain link' fencing with similar sized holes. Surely, this could be done in this day and age.

There is something like this being trialed in Australia this year , the so called 'Eco net ' but it seems to be held up because of safety concerns from surfers , it looks promising though .