Fisheries Minister Dave Kelly rejected an offer of five free SMART drumlines from the NSW Government on Thursday.
Mr Kelly said if the NSW Government really wanted to help the WA Government they could release the shark tracking data they have.
Mr Kelly said this would show what happened to sharks when they are tagged and released under their program.
“At present there is no independent assessment whether or not the SMART drumline trial in NSW has actually been effective,” he said.
“Before we commit to millions of dollars of expenditure in WA we would like to see independent assessment as to whether or not that program actually makes our beaches safer.
“By independent I mean having the data released so someone independent can have a look at it and analyse the data.”
Mr Kelly said when the previous state government looked at shark deterrants they had UWA make an assessment on wether or not they were effective.
“Of course the NSW Government are going to say what they are doing is effective because they have already committed millions of dollars to it,” he said.
Of course the NSW Government are going to say what they are doing is effective because they have already committed millions of dollars to it.
- Fisheries Minister Dave Kelly
Mr Kelly said the cost of the equipment was a small cost in comparison to to the cost of paying for a commercial fisherman to operate the SMART drumlines.
Mr Kelly said he would make a decision on SMART drumlines once they had seen the results of the NSW trials.
The NSW Government offered to loan the WA Government five SMART drumlines to trial the technology in its waters.
NSW has compiled valuable research through the trials of SMART drumlines and given the recent shark interactions in WA suggested WA could add to that body of research.
NSW minister for Primary Industries Niall Blair said the move to loan the SMART drumlines to the WA Government would help it better understand the technology.
“The early results of trials in NSW have been very promising and there’s no reason why our SMART drumlines could not be used to protect beachgoers at shark hot spots along the WA coast,” he said.
“When we first launched our shark strategy in 2015 we wanted to trial new technologies that put people first but also minimised risk to marine life.
“NSW is now leading the world in trials of SMART drumlines, which are proving successful for both mitigation and research. I
The NSW Government have deployed up to 100 drumlines in multiple locations and since the trials began on the North Coast in 2016 they had seen a reduction in fatalities and injuries from shark attacks.
The NSW SMART drumline trial is currently tracking 251 white sharks, 60 bull sharks and 36 tiger sharks.
Preliminary results from white sharks with satellite tags suggested that after sharks were caught, tagged and relocated one kilometre offshore their immediate response was to move away from the coast for up to several weeks.
Tagged sharks could travel as far as WA and New Zealand.
The offer to trial the SMART drum lines in WA waters followed a request from Vasse MLA Libby Mettam and Dawesville MP Zak Kirkup to NSW Minister for Primary Industries Niall Blair following two recent shark attacks in Margaret River.
Ms Mettam said the McGowan Government had a golden opportunity to potentially save lives and begin to repair damage to the WA’s tourism reputation.
“To not accept that offer would be political and petty in the extreme,” she said.
“Fisheries Minister Dave Kelly can no longer put this issue in the too-hard basket – the time for action is now. The minister can no longer sit on his hands saying a subsidy on a personal shark deterrent, that surfers say they cannot use, is enough to make people feel safe,” she said.
“Minister Kelly has hidden behind bogus claims that a SMART drum line trial in WA would cost $75 million, has pointed his finger at surfers saying they are responsible for their own safety, and has stood by while lives have been lost, people have been maimed and significant tourism events have been interrupted; enough is enough.
“Instead of continuing to talk down the merits of smart drum lines, the Government should take the opportunity to trial this technology here.”
Ms Mettam said the NSW Government had trialled around 25-35 on the North Coast in 2016-2017 at a cost around $1 million, including the cost of two contractors who attended the lines at five locations.
“For Mr Kelly to say deploying SMART drum lines in WA will cost $75 million is misleading and shows contempt for the safety of ocean users and the future of our tourism sector,” she said.
“We’ve had five events, including the Margaret River Pro, cancelled or disrupted in the past 12 months due to sharks. We cannot afford to lose any more events waiting for something to be done.
“The NSW Government is taking every measure to address the issues of public safety and give confidence back to beach goers – the WA Government must do the same.”