A shark behaviour expert has criticised former prime minister Tony Abbott for calling for a shark cull after a woman was attacked at Coogee beach, stating that Abbott 'doesn't understand the science' behind shark behaviour and risk management.
Expert dismisses cull as ineffective
Emeritus Professor Rob Harcourt, who leads the marine predator research group at Macquarie University, said a cull would not reduce the risk of shark attacks. 'Tony Abbott doesn't understand risk, he does not understand climate change, and he doesn't understand the science when he calls for a cull,' Harcourt told Guardian Australia. 'What's the point in a cull? A cull won't change the risk unless you completely remove white sharks from the ocean. It's not feasible and it would be an ecological catastrophe.'
Leah Stewart, 35, was bitten on the leg and arm by what is believed to be a great white shark on Saturday morning. Her family described her as a 'passionate teacher and Coogee local' whose injuries remain 'severe and life-threatening'. In a statement, they said she had undergone multiple surgeries and remains in a critical condition.
Political reaction to the attack
Abbott called for a shark cull in a social media video, saying it was 'so wrong that we don't cull sharks after attacks' and proposing a fishery to catch sharks. However, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns ruled out a cull, noting that great white sharks are a protected species. 'I'm not convinced it would work and we've certainly had no expert evidence suggesting to us that we could ward away great whites from our beaches as a result of a cull,' Minns said.
Professor Culum Brown, who researches fish behaviour at Macquarie University, described calls for a shark cull as 'a very naive way of scoring political points'. He added: 'We should be looking at ways we can coexist with nature. We should not be having this 18th-century approach to annihilating nature because it threatens us in some way.'
Drone technology as an alternative
Experts have suggested that drone technology could have prevented the attack. Harcourt said using drones to survey beaches is a more practical way to reduce the risk of bites. 'If you put drones over a beach and then call people in [when sharks are spotted] then you are less likely to be bitten,' he said.
On Monday, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority temporarily lifted a ban on using drones to survey for sharks at Coogee, which is close to Sydney airport flight paths. Surf Lifesaving NSW's public safety manager, Brent Manieri, confirmed that drones would be allowed to fly across several beaches for the rest of the week.
Dr Daryl McPhee from Bond University, who researches shark bite trends, said: 'Had drones been able to fly, this is one bite that could have been avoided.' He noted that it is 'extremely rare' for a person to be bitten on a patrolled beach because of the many eyes on the water.
Rise in shark bites
McPhee said that between 1980 and 1999, there was an average of 0.6 shark bites causing injury each year in NSW, but the current rate is 4.16. Most of that rise has been driven by bites in the north of the state. Population increases and growing whale populations, which attract more great white sharks, are contributing factors.
Lawrence Chlebeck, a marine biologist at Humane World for Animals, argued that culls cannot work because sharks are migratory and swim thousands of kilometres. He warned that any cull involving bait would likely increase shark activity, thus increasing the risk. He also noted that since 2012, 174 great white sharks, 40 bull sharks, and 42 tiger sharks have been killed as a result of the state's shark nets.
