RealSurf Surfers' Forum

Well a community survey by the DPI just let out to "stakeholders" reckons support for shark nets in the area has collapsed in the past year -- except among surfers.

What looks interesting in their stats is the fact that in the first net trial they got nine "target" sharks and in the second they got two.

Do sharks alter behaviour as a result of the presence of nets? Do they alter behaviour as a result of drumline tag and release? Are people's view of shark nets affected by the number (or lack) of attacks? Do people change behaviour as a result of attacks and word-of-mouth on shark activity?

Plenty of sharks being tagged and released elsewhere too. A large white shark attacked and killed a seal within 50m of a group of surfers at Queenscliff in June. My training crew saw at least two large white sharks surface cruising during their Molokai training back around that time. You NEVER saw white sharks in that close in years past. Outside yeah but not within cooee of headlands.

What about support for the smart drumlines?

I reckon the whale population is in overshoot so that's why we are seeing the dying whales in decent numbers, and lots of shark food.
Wouldn't be surprised to find they're maturing earlier and having larger litters.
Some pretty small changes to those factors could lead to a massive increase in population growth rates.

Nick support for nets has collapsed amongst surfers here as well.

Support for smart drumlines has increased....even the most doctrinaire greenie seems to accept it now.

As for your other questions NC.......

1. Can't seem to find any data or even expert opinion on that.......but dolphins seem to get caught in the nets and they are much more intelligent than sharks.
I think the lack of target sharks is more of a seasonal factor. ie, there are less white sharks (and bull sharks) here in summer. More tigers but they seem to stay deep.

2. They seem to, at least in the short term. There have been sharks tagged and released then recaptured so any effect might be short lived or not statistically significant. Too early to tell.

3. No. They are affected primarily by the reporting of the by catch.

4. Yes. An attack or cluster of attacks or even bumpings, circling or other encounters will see certain spots around Ballina and most open beaches become deserted. Crowds will cluster.

Nick Carroll wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 06, 2018 3:33 pm

Plenty of sharks being tagged and released elsewhere too.

Nowhere near the scale as in N.NSW though.

Go look at the last 2 weeks worth of activity on shark smart.

Just about all the bouys from Hawkes Nest to Byron are getting pinged a lot more often last month or so.
It’s a head scratcher that if they wanted to gain more tag data, they’re have drumlines back in at Forster, Port and Coffs etc. but they don’t.

Contractor and funding issues, presumably.

That time of year when Steve get's fccckn hysterical about sharks again.

haven't you got better things to do with your time Loof?

Obviously not Steve.

More
DPI advise 2.54m White Shark tagged and released from SMART drumline at Main Beach, Evans Head at 07:52 am on 7 Aug 2018.

DPI advise 2.46m White Shark tagged and released from SMART drumline at Main Beach, Evans Head at 09:29 am on 7 Aug 2018.

Says Loofy blanketed by his warm, fuzzy nets

No, the nets are pulled in winter Vic.

Not trying to alarm Loof, just posting relevant information to the thread.

Steve, they have always been there. Count yourself lucky you have gotten away with it so long.

Not in the case of white sharks Loof.

The number of juveniles/sub adult white sharks in this area is a relatively recent phenomenon.

Taking the kids for a dawny tomorrow.

Brother I prey for your children but those sharks, well they are just coming back. Go back past 80 years and there was plenty of them.

Didn't realise netting was seasonal along the Newcastle to 'gong stretch

Reliable anecdotes have the numbers up here too. Difference is, rather than juvenile/sub adult, they're big fcukers. The inbetweeners are somewhere near Loof