SHARK DRUM
LINE PROGRAM
377. Hon LYNN MacLAREN to the
Minister for Fisheries:
I refer to drum lining off the metropolitan area, which is
being conducted as a shark hazard mitigation measure.
(1) Is it
correct that staff on board the Fisheries vessels have, at times, taken evasive
action to avoid the undersized sharks that they have released being filmed or
physically assisted by independent observers?
(2) If yes to (1), is this being done at the minister's
request?
(3) What
specific training have Fisheries officers who are involved in drum-lining
operations received for the task?
(4) Has a set of operating procedures for conducting drum
lining been developed?
(5) In order
to reduce the number of undersized sharks that are dying while hooked on the
drum lines or that are being released in a state of near death due to the long
periods they have spent hooked on drum lines, will the minister consider
instructing the operators to bait the hooks only in the morning rather than
leaving them out overnight?
(6) If no to
(5), why not, given that the current Environment Protection and Biodiversity
Conservation Act exemption requires that the Western Australian government tries
to minimise environmental harm caused by drum lining?
Hon
KEN BASTON replied:
I thank the member for some notice of this question.
(1) No.
(2) Not applicable.
(3) All officers
involved have received formal training and authorisation for the use of firearms
used in the program. The officers involved are experienced mariners, having
worked with various forms of fishing gear across a wide range of fisheries and
are familiar and experienced in using the fishing gear being used as part of
the program and in the handling of sharks and other marine fauna.
(4) Yes.
(5) No.
(6) The
government is complying with the exemption provided under the Environment
Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.