WA Government caught omitting survey showing community against shark cull

Sea Shepherd Australia has obtained documents which show a survey commissioned by the WA Government illustrating 80% of Western Australians do not support the shark cull was not provided to Federal Environment Minister, Greg Hunt when Premier Colin Barnett applied for an exemption to catch and kill sharks using drum lines. The survey conducted by Marketforce in April 2013 cost $53,000 and was part of a PR contract worth almost $1million with the company around the contentious issue and is not available to the public.

“What is clear is that WA Premier, Colin Barnett and the WA Government has omitted information that the public paid for presumably because the results of the survey do not meet its agenda to catch and kill sharks,” said Jeff Hansen, Managing Director, Sea Shepherd Australia.

“The Marketforce survey found that the majority (over 80%) of Western Australians believed culling was not the answer (page 55). The survey also illustrated that the majority of Western Australians believe that the responsibility for ensuring beach safety against sharks, lies with the individual, not the Government. In fact, in relation to reduced beach usage, only seven people of the 768 reported they used beaches less due to fear of shark attack,” said Mr Hansen

“Its time that the WA Government backed alternatives that assists with beach users safety without killing marine life. We don’t have to choose between the protecting human life or sharks, we can do both, with alternatives available today that actually work, because baited drum lines simply do not,” said Mr Hansen
Jeff Hansen, Managing Director, Sea Shepherd Australia