Instead of choosing scientifically supported strategies to reduce shark bite risk, Fisheries Minister Tony Perrett is pushing a stone-age ‘kill them all’ approach that will devastate marine life—especially sharks.

This decision flies in the face of evidence from the Queensland Government’s own Scientific Working Group, independent drone trial data, and the 2019 Senate Inquiry into shark mitigation. These all point to the urgent need for non-lethal, science-based solutions.

Alarmingly, this program may also breach federal law. Under Section 43B(3) of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, any enlargement or intensification of the Queensland Shark Control Program could be deemed illegal.

Two fatalities have occurred near drumlines in Queensland waters in the past five years. These lethal methods don’t protect people—they attract large sharks closer to shore, increasing the risk.

Minister Perrett is ignoring the science, legal risks, and public safety, while intensifying a program that should have been phased out years ago. Sharks play a vital role in healthy ocean ecosystems, and their continued persecution under this outdated policy threatens biodiversity at a time when ocean health is already under pressure from climate change and pollution.

Have your say - demand an immediate halt to this expansion and a shift to proven, non-lethal shark mitigation methods.

Add your voice at: https://www.seashepherd.org.au/our-campaigns/shark-defence-campaign/

Jonathan Clark
Shark Defence Campaign Coordinator