Take Action
If you care about preserving this ancient species, please write to:
MS KATRINA HODGKINSON, MP
Minister for Primary Industries
Level 30 Governor Macquarie Tower
1 Farrer Place, Sydney NSW 2000
Email: office@hodgkinson.minister.nsw.gov.au
cc. Barry O’Farrell office@premier.nsw.gov.au
Andrew Stoner office@stoner.minister.nsw.gov.au
Cate Faehrmann cate.faehrmann@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Luke Foley Luke.Foley@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Comments
Shark numbers are down all over the world. Some are being killed unnecessarily, and others are tortured for life. It is not acceptable for humans to wipe out entire species. Please consider protecting what species we do have left. If the oceans die, WE DIE!
Attn to: Katrina Hodgkinson, Minister for Primary Industries
I am extremely disturbed by the removal of what seems to me to be a very mild form of protection for the Grey Nurse Shark at Fish Rock, South West Rocks.
The lifting of ban on fishing with jigs and bait puts a critically endangered species at further risk of death or injury as a result of damaging fishing practices.
I have dived at Fish Rock and have been struck by the gentle majesty of these animals. I cannot understand why you are allowing these critically endangered animals to suffer the indignity of carrying hooks and lures in their mouths and gills, possibly facing a slow and painful death.
A recent Primary Industries study proves that sharks can and do take bait at Fish Rock:
http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/research/areas/systems-research/wild-fisheries/outputs/2011/grey-nurse-update
I have heard of dead grey nurse sharks being found in dumped in bushland. A grey nurse shark head was found at Gap Beach recently. So these animals are not only being accidently hooked, they are being actively, deliberately caught and killed.
To revoke a protection for an endangered species BEFORE you do a scientific study is irresponsible in the extreme. You are associating yourself with the kind of hoons that hide a dead shark in bushland, or cut off its head and leave it on a beach.
I understand that there are barely 500-1500 of these creatures left on the eastern seaboard, where 5000 is the minimum for a species to be considered viable.
I would further question the wisdom of putting the fate of marine parks and sanctuaries in the hands of a Primary Industries Minister who happens to enjoy recreational fishing.
Small wonder then you have put the “rights” of anglers to pursue their “sport” before the continued existence of a species that has probably existed more than 420 million years. Maybe you could wipe it out within one term of office. What an achievement that would be.
Sincerely,
Damon Baker
http://sharkdivers.blogspot.com/2011/05/grim-news-for-grey-nurse-sharks.html
Over in Fiji and elsewhere folks are raising the fighting flag for sharks.
This time the Grey nurse shark (Carcharias taurus) in Australia where a recent change in fisheries policy is taking this species off the protected list and open to fishing pressure.
What makes this particular case actionable is the fact this is a reversal of set conservation policy introducing an open fishing zone where these animals are known to aggregate and breed.
If this sounds like politics once again creeping into shark conservation, you have a good ear for bad conservation policy.
You can get the full scoop and send a well timed email to Fisheries Minister Katrina Hodgkinson this week at the Grey Nurse Blog.
Note: The image is from Montague Island circa 1964, when sharks were considered the enemy and images like these served to prove that point. We have come a long way since then, let’s not let fisheries policy in Australia slide back at the hands of a few misinformed policy makers.