surfarthur
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Posts posted by surfarthur
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I think killing them would be cheaper than studying them so just kill them I would feel safer in the water.
But you wouldn't necessarily be.
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Well, that's part of it, another part is that many people genuinely believe that it will stop shark attacks, despite the evidence that suggests it will make little or no difference.
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In light of the most recent shark bite fatality in Western Australia last week, there have been renewed calls for a cull of large sharks to protect ocean users. Environment minister Greg Hunt has said he wants to reduce the risk of attacks. So what is the best way to reduce that risk?
Are shark bites increasing?There is no denying that each of these events is a tragedy and our sympathy is, of course, with the family and friends of the victims. However, based on statistical data, the number of shark related fatalities is negligible when you consider the vast and increasing number of swimmers entering our coastal waters every year.
Research has shown the number of shark bite incidents occurring each year appears to be directly related to the amount of time people spend in the sea. Given that Western Australia has the fastest population growth of any Australian state, there is likely to be an increasing number of people venturing out into our coastal waters every year. Thus, the likelihood of someone encountering a shark increases and with it a corresponding increase in shark bite incidents.
Politicians and the public are often quoted in the media saying shark numbers in WA have increased. But most experts would agree that there is no evidence to support such a statement.
Data gathered by Surf Life Savers WA has been used to suggest an increase in the number of sharks in WA, by stating that more sharks were sighted in 2012/13 (285 sharks) than in 2011/12 (247 sharks).
However, when you account for the number of hours that the helicopter patrols were out looking for sharks (2012/13: 751 hrs; 2011/12: 620 hrs) we find that they sighted the same number of sharks per hour of patrolling (approximately 1 shark every 2.5 hrs).
In fact, research shows that the number of attacks per million people in Australia almost halved from approximately 60 per million people between 1930/1939 to approximately 30 per million people between 2000/2009.
Does culling work?
So often the argument in favour of a cull comes down to the emotional question of who is more important: a human or a shark. Rather, we need to ask the question, will culling sharks actually reduce the risk of an attack?
The answer is no. In fact, when shark culling was carried out in Hawaii, between 1959 to 1976, over 4,500 sharks were killed and yet there was no significant decrease in the number of shark bites recorded.
Culling has been the primary shark mitigation policy of the New South Wales Government for over 60 years, through the use of “shark” nets. But a report by the Department of Primary Industries showed that 24 of the 38 (63%) attacks in the state, between 1937 and 2008, occurred at netted beaches.
Pre-emptively killing sharks is a response based on emotion rather than of scientific data.
How to reduce personal risk
We take a calculated risk whenever we enter the ocean, but the risk is quite small when compared to other daily activities. For example, new research shows that rip currents are the cause of an average 21 confirmed human fatalities per year in Australia, compared with 7.5 for cyclones, 5.9 for bushfires, 4.3 for floods, and 1 for sharks.
With the correct information, we can make an objective judgement as to whether or not we accept the risk to enter the oceans.
The WA Department of Fisheries recently released a report on how to reduce your personal risk of being bitten by a shark (and you can find more information at the International Shark Attack File).
- Stay out of the water if sharks have been sighted in the area.
- Stay close to shore (within 30m of the water’s edge).
- Don’t go in the water alone (stay in groups).
- Avoid water temperatures lower than 22C.
- Avoid water depths of greater than 5m when swimming or surfing.
- Avoid swimming after heavy storms, or in low light conditions (dusk and dawn).
- Avoid swimming if there are seals, dolphins, whales or baitfish nearby.
What the government can do
The WA Government are in a difficult situation. They genuinely want to protect ocean users, but at the same time they are well aware there is no “magic bullet” to prevent shark attacks across the large expanse of the WA coastline.
Their investment in monitoring and research has been a very positive step towards reducing shark bite incidents in the region, but the use of lethal control measures and the threats of a major cull of sharks is not the answer.
Instead, we need to better understand exactly what causes sharks to bite people, what factors are responsible for them venturing closer to shore and more about their biology and life history. Recent research has found, for example, that sharks'diving behaviour is affected by temperature and the moon, that female white sharks have different movement patternsto males, and that Australian white sharks have home territories they always return to.
This kind of research helps us better understand where sharks will be and how they’re likely to behave. More of the same could help us develop strategies to coexist with these important apex predators and continue to enjoy the ocean safely.
The WA Government should also consider placing more emphasis on educating people about the risks, such as the times of day and conditions under which attacks are most likely to occur.
They could also put warning signs at beaches known to be frequented by “dangerous” sharks. We are unaware of a single beach in WA that has information boards related to the risks associated with encountering potentially dangerous sharks. This strategy is common practice in California and other places frequented by large sharks.
We will never completely prevent shark attacks, however, with better education and improved investment in monitoring and research we can reduce the risk and frequency of these tragic events.//RYAN KEMPSTER & SHAUN COLLIN
- Stay out of the water if sharks have been sighted in the area.
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The neoprene is black - any other colours on a wetsuit are nylon over the neoprene. So to get lighter colours you need thicker nylon.
And black is slimming.
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Completely agree JA.
If you were 100% certain that you had the correct shark then fine, but I just don't see how that is possible.
Regarding the wetsuit, I wouldn't buy a wetsuit without trying it on. Each brand differ in fit. Also, being towards the upper end of the price scale, I would like to see that the neoprene is high quality and the construction is good. I haven't seen any of these wetsuits in any of the surf shops yet.
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For a standard steamer the price (depending on quality/label) varies from around $200 AUD to $500 AUD. There actually is a big difference between different types of neoprene in terms of flexibility and that is largely what you are paying for, as well as the way that the seams are sealed. If you don't mind me asking, how much is the shark suit?
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I am not really in favor of a cull, but I am more and more on the fence on this issue now. On the one hand, the ocean is wilderness, and the sharks habitat. On the other hand, if killing 20 to 30 sharks would actually be all that is required as some people are suggesting, then I don't really see the harm in it.
What keeps tipping me back towards not culling the sharks, is the fact that there is no scientific evidence to suggest that this will impact on the situation on the WA coast, particularly as we still don't really have a clear picture on the migration habits of great white sharks. We do know that they travel great distances, with one tagged shark having been recorded swimming from South Africa to NW Australia and back (20,000 km) in less than 9 months.
I also think if we were talking about culling any other animal on the endangered species list, well, I just don't believe that we would be talking about it.
I am seriously considering one of those wetsuits that mamabear posted about though.
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Company
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Actually no, but there are some Weird Al originals padding it out, which are really not that good.
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Its a double CD!
here is one for you
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Weird Al Yankovich's greatest hits
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I think it probably does more harm than good to be bragging about dubious awards such as the World Ski Awards.
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Yep, the ball should have won an oscar for that performance.
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Well, I read today that the Prime Minister of Japan personally visits Niseko every year (Book Now! Buy Apartment Now!). I am assuming that that is Mr Abe, of Abenomics fame? If so, then Niseko must be the best resort in Japan.
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dictionary
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ski resort
Web definitions
- a resort with lodging and facilities for skiing
By these definitions, I think a ski resort requires: accomodation,snow, and people frequenting the location for the purpose of snow sports (lifts optional, and clothing - only if you are soft
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I have heard that hybrids actually have a bigger carbon footprint than regular vehicles because of the fossil fuels consumed in the process of making the batteries. Not sure if this is true, but certainly mining for "rare earths" is a very expensive and energy intensive process so it wouldn't suprise me if it is true.
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The batteries are supposed to last for 7 years, and are expensive to replace - worth checking how long the manufacturer says the batteries should last though as different types of battery will be significantly different.
If you do buy a hybrid, I would go for brand new, given that it is relatively new technology, there should be quite big improvements from earlier models to the latest models.
Snow dudes suggestion of a Seidel vehicle could be worth looking into - the ford minded deisel gets better fuel efficincy than the Toyota Camry hybrid.
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Our work vehicles are hybrid Toyota Camrys - they are quiet, nice to drive. The brakes take a bit of getting used to - I find that I need to be much heavier footed on the brakes as the first stage of braking is used to charge the batteries. This is an adjustment that is only really noticable when you get back into a "normal" car.
fwiw, having done some rough calculations - based on the extra cost of purchase of a hybrid vehicle (comparing the standard camry to the hybrid camry at prices 2 years ago, and using aussie fuel costs - the savings on fuel will probably not actually recover the additional purchase cost. Do your own figures though, in Japan this might work out differently.
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Yes, any online storage is "cloud" storage, things like email have been using this for quite a while, its only recently become known as the cloud.
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Dropbox is very handy for work - have used the file sharing thingee that BM is talking about, very handy when collaborating with people who do not have access to the same servers as you do.
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I think some sailors might be "feeding the fish" right about now.
Kill the Sharks
in General off-topic discussions
Posted
Without knowing the specifics, I think that that bear could probably have been tranquilized and relocated rather than destroyed. Another factor is that the black bear is not an endangered species, in fact there are hunting seasons for them in most of Canada and 28 US states.
I also don't take issue with wanting to kill a specific shark when it has attacked a human. Unfortunately that seems to be a very hard thing to do in reality.