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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-11-14 Daily Xml
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Shark Management

The Hon. C. BONAROS (14:51): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development a question about white shark management.

Leave granted.

The Hon. C. BONAROS: White sharks are a protected species—a threatened species—in South Australia's waters under section 71 of the Fisheries Management Act and also the EPBC Act. According to the CSIRO, over 100 white sharks measuring between three and over five metres in length have been fitted with tracking devices in waters around the Neptune Islands. They are known to be elusive, meaning we rely on anecdotal numbers more than anything.

Anecdotally, marine users have cited significant increasing numbers of white sharks in marine waters since they were listed as a threatened species some 20 years ago and this morning we heard a minister from the Labor government on radio saying that the aerial patrol of white sharks was going to be brought forward as a result of concerns being raised. We know there have been in the last six months two individuals, sadly, killed and another two injured in the last month.

My question to the minister is: aside from a monitoring program, what other plans does the government have, or indeed what other measures does the government have, in place to deal with the management of white sharks?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (14:53): I thank the honourable member for her question, which of course is particularly topical at the moment and I'm sure that I would be joined by all in extending our condolences to the family and friends of those who have lost their lives recently and also our thoughts and best wishes to those who have sustained injuries in recent times.

First of all, in terms of aerial patrols, the honourable member is right in that aerial shark patrols on South Australia's highest risk beaches will commence two weeks ahead of schedule. A full complement of shark surveillance aircraft will start from this Saturday 18 November to monitor beaches from North Haven to Rapid Bay and between Victor Harbor and the Murray Mouth. These are fixed-wing aircraft, which will fly daily until Easter over metropolitan areas, with flights to be extended to the south coast on weekends, school holidays and public holidays, and provide multiple flights over our highest populated and aquatic activity beaches.

Historically, it's been the first week in December that has aligned with increased beach activity, with warmer weather arriving and school holidays commencing, but following last week's shark attack and the early onset of hot weather, the shark patrol will commence two weeks early. The Malinauskas government has provided more than $460,000 each summer for the shark patrol program. The early commencement is very much about reducing the anxiety that some South Australians may be feeling as a result of recent tragic attacks.

Of course, where other efforts may be required to protect South Australians, the government will consider those in a collaborative approach across agencies and stakeholders. I am and will continue to be in further discussions with my colleagues, in particular the Minister for Environment and Water, particularly in regard to the efficacy and practicality of deploying various options, some of which have been publicly suggested in recent days, and looking at those options across our vast range of beaches across South Australia.

For members' information, it is section 71 of the Fisheries Management Act where great white sharks are protected and it is an offence to take, injure or interfere with a great white shark. The maximum penalty is $20,000 for an individual and $100,000 for a company. I note that there have been anecdotal reports of increased numbers of great white sharks. I am not aware at this stage of confirmed scientific data on that. South Australia has a shark response plan that sets out agency responsibilities in the event of a shark attack. Primarily, if a shark attack occurs, SAPOL is the lead agency and PIRSA provides assistance.

In terms of shark deterrence and mitigation measures that the honourable member asked about, the advice that I have is that due to the highly migratory behaviour and transient nature of sharks, the likelihood, first of all, of being able to identify an individual shark that might be responsible for attack is very low. As a result, it's not government policy to attempt to seek out individual sharks responsible for attacks. However, where sharks of any species pose an imminent threat to human life and it's in the public interest in South Australia, police and fisheries officers are empowered to take immediate action to ensure the safety of people in the water.

In South Australia, a number of non-lethal measures are adopted to mitigate the risk of shark interactions with beach users. Both fixed-wing and helicopter patrols of beaches are conducted to locate sharks. PIRSA also maintains a shark sighting log, which reports sightings from these patrols, as well as sightings by the public and SAPOL. South Australian surf lifesaving clubs were provided with drones to enhance the monitoring of sharks across beaches of South Australia to increase the aerial patrol capability.

There are a number of other mitigation measures that have been adopted or trialled in other states. I might just outline a couple of those and some of the discussions around them. Baited drum lines are heavy fishing gear designed to catch large sharks, which are attached to large floats. These lines also capture non-target sharks and other animals, including rays. They require ongoing monitoring and maintenance and, obviously, the capture of those other marine life is not ideal.

Smart drum lines are designed similar to those baited drum lines, but they use circle hooks that are designed to allow for the release of the captured shark. An alert is sent to a monitoring station when an animal takes a bait on the set line and a responder then tags and relocates the shark offshore. It is a non-lethal method for sharks, which obviously is positive; however, it is very labour intensive and therefore its applicability is somewhat limited.

There is shark acoustic and satellite tagging, which can provide real-time monitoring of the locations of tagged sharks; however, that has limited efficiency as untagged sharks can't be monitored. That is one of those limitations. Shark nets have also been raised as a suggestion here in South Australia. Shark nets, of course, are set outside beaches and they are not complete barriers because sharks can swim over, under and around them. Also, nets can capture a range of non-target shark species and other bycatch, including rays, turtles and marine mammals. I am advised that nets can also be fitted with acoustic and magnetic devices to deter non-target animals, including marine mammals, but the efficacy of those devices has not been definitively shown.

Shark enclosures at beaches include eco nets, and they can provide full exclusion of sharks from an area. They are non-lethal to sharks and other large animals, while allowing the passage of small marine animals, so therefore have some advantages over some of the other methods; however, the nets are obviously limited to the area that can be covered. I am advised that a trial of eco nets in New South Wales was aborted prior to being finalised due to the failure of the infrastructure in heavy weather conditions.

Shark detection devices located outside beaches send an alert when a shark is detected. The effectiveness of those devices is limited as they are only able to detect sharks over short distances, according to my advice. Personal shark deterrents, including shark shields, provide individual protection, including in remote areas; however, the effectiveness of those devices is not guaranteed. Education programs provide information to beach users on safe practices to reduce the risk of shark attacks on individuals. Obviously, education is an important aspect but, of course, that cannot entirely prevent shark attacks.

We continue to look at the various options available and analyse the results that have come from trials interstate or elsewhere, and we will continue to work on what will be most appropriate for South Australia.

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