Shark season: What should we do?

Police speak to a surfer about the recent shark attack at Gracetown. Source: PerthNow

This three metre brown shark was spotted by fisherman 300 metres off the coast of Eagle Bay. Courtesy: Gemma Walsh

AS beaches in Gracetown re-open and the search for the shark that killed Chris Boyd is called off, debate still rages in our community as to what to do about the deadly predators stalking our 12,000km of pristine coastline.

Our seventh fatal attack in three years makes us the shark attack capital of the world and while this scary statistic has spurred the WA Government to react, their strategies simply haven't worked.

So as another long, hot summer approaches, PerthNow wants to know what you think about what's being done and if Saturday's tragic event will stop you heading to the beach this summer.

Comment below, send us an email or contact us on Twitter or Facebook about the State Government's strategies to combat shark attacks and how you're feeling about them as we head towards summer.

Shoot-to-kill just for thrills
The imminent threat order issued after the shark attack was rescinded on Monday night but it's almost impossible for authorities to track and kill a shark responsibile for fatal attacks. As former Fisheries minister Jon Ford said this week, unless authorities happen to be at the location of a fatality, and the shark responsible is hanging around, it's difficult to pinpoint the exact shark. "I'd share the reluctance of Fisheries to go out there and kill sharks," he said. Even Shark Response Unit spokesman Tony Cappelluti admitted they had no idea. "The scientific advice is that some white sharks remain in the vicinity of an attack site for a period, while others move on.

Lisa Clack from Fisheries shows the fins that a diver was wearing when he was bitten by a shark in Hillarys. Picture: Theo Fakos Source: PerthNow

Shark patrols don't stop attacks
They may give the public a sense of safety, and the State Government a sense of doing something, but in reality, shark patrols can't stop tragedies like Saturday's fatality. The Westpac Lifesaver Helicopter spotted eight sharks along the South West coastline on Saturday either side of the attack on Mr Boyd, just after 9am. But how many of these sightings were of the same shark? What was done to communicate the sightings immediately to beachgoers in the water? One thing the shark patrols are showing is the increase in the number of large sharks swimming close to shore.

NEWS. Pilot Michael Ng on shark patrol up and down the coastline. Watermans Beach. Report Braden Quartermaine. Photos: Natalie Slade Picture: Slade Natalie Source: PerthNow

Tagging doesn't equal control
While tagged sharks can be detected along the Perth coast through 18 receivers, from Ocean Reef to Warnbro Sound, there are only two satellite-linked acoustic receivers in the South West. Given the region's attraction as a surfing, beach and tourism destination, this is clearly not enough. Gracetown, where there have been three fatalities since 2004, is unable to host a receiver because the currents at the beach are too strong and Premier Colin Barnett has refused an offer from US research group OCEARCH to help them tag sharks along our coast.

Beaches near Gracetown have been closed because of a fatal shark attack. Source: News Corp Australia

Are nets a barrier or breakthrough?
While the use of shark nets increase the incidence of bycatch, they do reduce the occurrence of fatal attacks by decreasing local shark populations. Shark nets are common in New South Wales and also prevalent in Hong Kong and South Africa. The WA Goverment announced last month that a shark-proof fence designed to repel sharks, not trap them, would be trialled at Old Dunsborough Beach - a beach not common for shark sightings or recent attacks. Another for Coogee Beach has been hit by red tape.

The 300 metre long shark net will be installed 75metres off Coogee Beach. Picture: Supplied Source: PerthNow

Culling is cruel but can it work?
Gracetown surfers and business operators demanded the State Government start killing white pointers in the region but the great white is still a protected species and the ocean is their territory. Some suggested sharks bigger than 3m or those that swim close to shore to be culled but the school of thought suggests sharks are heading closer to shore and attacking more humans because of overfishing in our waters. There is no evidence to suggest that culling sharks will equate to fewer attacks and Premier Colin Barnett is talking tough but still wary.

A victim of a shark attack near Esperance is ferried by the Royal Flying Doctors at Jandakot. Picture: Jordan Shields Source: PerthNow

Deterrents at an expense
Scientists at the University of WA are researching shark deterrent measures including using sound, light and bubbles to deter the predators, while devices like shark shields, which emit electronic pulses and cause sharks a high level of discomfort, are also available. When Rockingham Encounters tour guide Elyse Frankcom was with a charter group diving with dolphins in 2010, she had a shark shield on her but failed to turn it on. She was attacked by a shark shortly after and subsequently activated her deterrent and the shark swum away. While this measure is not a 100 percent guarantee it is a proven, albeit, costly method to protect beachgoers from sharks.