Many people have posted about this and its obviously in the media etc. Here is just some info. This is not a pro or anti post simply an info post (though its clear I do support it in principle). The concept of using a baited drum line for sharks originated in Queensland in 1962 and has also been used on the South African coast for around 10 years to REPLACE the use of nets along many of the beaches North of Durban, as nets are indiscriminate and result in higher loss of life. The hooks are HUGE circle type shape with a whole dead fish on it, attached to some chain and thick rope. Both areas still use nets and way more life is killed in them, and of course not only sharks, the drum lines are far more selective. There are pretty much only 3 species of sharks that tend to get caught on them, most likely due to how the sharks feed. Those species are whites, tigers and bulls. Tigers and bulls are not caught nearly as often as whites though. Other species like hammerheads, bronze whalers, threshers, etc, etc all share the same waters and may even take SOME of the bait but basically never get hooked due to the hook size. Tigers are also slightly more cautious of chain etc (seen this on footage of sharkmen, they are shy feeders when something is off for them). Plus it is also usually your larger sharks that get caught. Some silly lady in a recent media article mentioned they would swim from the shore would try and release the by-catch of dolphins, turtles and rays. She clearly is a bit high on the green stuff. Those animals would not get hooked up on the size 14/0 hooks. If I were a dolphin I would actually take great offense to that comment. The point of drum lines is not to deplete the ocean of 1000s of sharks but rather to target single larger individuals that are near to specific areas 1km from the beach (1 baited hook per drum per patch of beach). The Queensland and South African drum lines both take sharks out of the population but not huge numbers. I can recall in one year a total of 3 large whites being taken off one of the lines off a South African drum, all 4m+. So to use the word cull like they are wiping put the population is misleading. Slaughter is also just plain nonsense, it is a very selective population reduction aimed at potential man eating sharks. My 2c worth.
Posted on: Mon, 27 Jan 2014 10:00:31 +0000
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