To the South Australian State Government,
I am writing to you today to ask some questions and present some facts relating to Sharks in South Australia and the media's involvement in stirring up controversy and hysteria regarding the issue of Shark Fishing from Adelaide Metropolitan waters.
In the last 218 years there have been a total of 62 Shark attacks in South Australia 19 of which have been fatal. [1] Out of the 19 fatal Shark attacks in South Australia two have been in Adelaide Metropolitan Waters with only one of these being close to shore.[2] During this time frame Shark fishing (or Sharking) has played an ever increasing role in the Adelaide recreational fishing scene. Can the Government please provide the statistics which show that Sharking has caused Adelaide Metropolitan beaches to become an unsafe place for the public? These statistics are required to help clarify the recent decision by the Hon Gail Gago MLC, Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries to ban Sharking from Adelaide Metro waters between the hours of 5am and 9pm instituted on the 14th of February 2012. [3]
It seems to me that if the Government cannot provide these statistics then the claims by members of the public and the media that Sharking is unsafe and attracting these animals to our beaches, cannot be substantiated.[4] [5] [6] As such claims seem to be spurious and not backed by any empirical evidence perhaps the Government can clarify as to when it started listening to the media to make it's policy decisions? The level of coverage that this non-issue has received has been huge. I have heard reports of recreational anglers being abused by members of the public regarding this. These anglers are fishing
within Australian law and as such are supposed to be afforded the same rights and dignities as any other law abiding citizen. Why is the Government not doing more to promote a scientifically accurate picture of Sharking in South Australia? By introducing this knee-jerk reaction to the public hysteria instigated by the media [7] [8] [9] Hon Gail Gago MLC has shown her complete ignorance on the subject and her complete unwillingness to deal honestly and fairly with Australian citizens who have
the highest compliance with regulations of all recreational anglers. [10]
As an Australian citizen in a country that is supposed to be a democracy I feel disenfranchised by the Governments handling of this issue. There has been no public consultation that I have been aware of and I work in the recreational fishing industry. If there has been public consultation on this matter then I might ask the Government why it was not publicized more broadly? Was it because the Government was afraid they may come across as ignorant on the matter? No fear of that as the Government has yet again done damage to their credibility with this knee-jerk reaction, much the same as the Marine Parks issue.
In regards to the medias role in providing hyperbole surrounding this issue I would like to draw the Governments attentions to an article posted on the Adelaide Now website on January 11, 2012 titled 'Jetty shark fishing risks lives' (see reference [9]). Not only is the title of this article a blatant attempt at sensationalism but it is also completely misleading the public on the facts regarding Sharking. This article features numerous unsubstantiated claims from members of the public in regards to Sharking from our Jetties. How is it that the Government can allow such an unscientific publication to dictate policy? Where is the evidence supporting the Adelaide Now articles claims? Why does the Government ignore advice from experts in this area such as Gary Flack? Has the Government consulted with a single recreational Shark Angler on this issue?
To conclude Shark Fishing is not an unsafe practice. It does not attract additional Sharks to our beaches as if this were the case it would be expected that Shark sightings and attacks would raise significantly. The Sharks that are caught from our jetties and beaches are already here [11] [12] and a ban on Shark fishing will not do anything to change this. The fact of the matter is that at any point when a person enters the ocean they are entering the Sharks habitat and there are risks associated with that. I would like to put to the Government that 218 years with only two fatal attacks (both unrelated to Sharking) shows that Sharking is not a risk to the general public and the full previous regulations should be re-instated as soon as possible.
Regards,
Nicolas Dubrowsky
Concerned Citizen and Recreational Angler of 24 years.
References:
[1]
http://www.taronga.org.au/animals-conservation/conservation-science/australian-shark-attack-file/latest-figures/latest-figures
[2]
http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/journal/shark-attacks-in-australia-timeline.htm
[3]
http://www.pir.sa.gov.au/fisheries/recreational_fishing/recreational_shark_fishing_restrictions
[4]
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-02-14/shark-fishing-ban-adelaide-coast/3828232
[5]
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/beachgoers-want-ban-on-shark-fishing/story-e6frea6u-1226250262398
[6]
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/anglers-lure-sharks-close-to-metropolitan-beaches/story-e6frea6u-1226239002305
[7]
http://www.triplem.com.au/adelaide/shows/hot-breakfast/photos/tredders-diary
[8]
http://weekly-times-messenger.whereilive.com.au/news/story/shark-ban-call/
[9]
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/jetty-shark-fishing-risks-lives/story-e6frea83-1225818216292
[10]
http://www.strikehook.com/forum/98-sarfac/189772-shark-fishing
[11]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copper_shark#Distribution_and_habitat
[12]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_white_shark#Distribution_and_habitat 
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