The surfboard petition calls on Premier Baird to rule out the use of lethal shark deterrents like so-called ‘smart drumlines’ in the state government’s shark management policy. The drumlines catch sharks with a hook suspended from a large plastic float anchored to the seabed; authorities are electronically alerted when an animal has been caught.
The NSW government has heeded calls to stop the expansion of shark nets in New South Wales as part of its $16m sharksafety policy, but has left open the option of employing the drumlines.
“We congratulate the government for not expanding shark nets on the NSW north coast, but we’re concerned that the government is still considering smart drumlines,” said Polly Kornie, Sharks Project Manager at Greenpeace Australia Pacific.
“In other Australian states, drumlines have caught more marine turtles than white sharks, and it’s likely that these drumlines could also end up killing other marine species such as dolphins and rays.
“We know Premier Baird enjoys surfing, so we hope that by hand-delivering him this surfboard with the names of tens of thousands of fellow ocean lovers, he will rule out the use of these potentially lethal devices.
“Premier Baird has said he wants NSW to focus on innovation and new technology. Our community supports that - which is exactly why we want him to rule out the use of drumlines as a part of his NSW shark management policy,” said Ms Kornie.
Sydney, 10 November 2015 – Greenpeace activists today delivered a surfboard to NSW Premier Mike Baird covered with more than 25,000 signatures asking him to rule out shark deterrents that hook and kill marine life such as turtles and dolphins.