http://cynicismcentral.org/node/53
Swimming with sharks –Something smells fishy in Townsville
Hot on the heels of cynicismcentral’s last article “HUMAN ATTACK-SAVE THE SHARKS” (www.cynicismcentral/node/52 ) which was sent to all Qld state politicians and most federal and local politicians this week , comes a story from the Townsville Bulletin “99 caught in Townsville waters last year, and maybe more- This is shark city” (article by Daniel Bateman, Townsville Bulletin 17/1/09 p9 . click on the link for scanned image you may have to rotate
http://cynicismcentral.nigelsim.org/dodgysharkfigurestownsvillebulletinj... ).
Cynicismcentral.org seems to have smoked out the labor government , and guess what , your going to get a look at labor smoke and mirrors PR tactics first hand.
Just how do you draw attention away from the stupidity and waste of the Qld shark “control” programme whilst addressing questions?
Dead f@#$%ing easy people. All you have to do is fudge the figures and the subject gets changed from whether we should be killing sharks in this way to fudged figures.
No doubt a government shark killing contract is a lucrative business , but whether or not it is an accountable business is another thing.
The Qld government Treasury figures from the DPI (http://www.oesr.qld.gov.au/queensland-by-theme/industry/agriculture-fore...) say that there were :
• 34 sharks over 2mts caught in Townsville /Magnetic Islands 54 drumlines and nets in 06/07
• 35 in 07/08
• Of those 40 sharks of all types caught in 06/07
• 88 sharks of all types in 07/08
Types of sharks caught
http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/ktp/shark-control-...
Limited Qld figures on what types of sharks are caught
http://www.oesr.qld.gov.au/queensland-by-theme/industry/agriculture-fore...
How then do we get the figures espoused by Qld Primary Industries Minister Tim Mulherin ?
The Townsville Bulletin states “Townsville ‘slipped’ to second spot in 2007 when 74 sharks were captured after leading the way in Qld the previous year with a haul of 90”. The bulletin went on to say 99 sharks were caught last year.
Whats going on?
The Qld government is always guarded about the shark figures , they will drop numbers here and there but wont let us see the proof . There is no way of verifying the figures given by the contractors themselves .
What needs to occur is a Crime and Misconduct Commission investigation into the shark contract business and the governments conduct in the shark control programme.
It was pointed out to me by a prominent and well respected marine researcher Mr Jamie Seymour the other day by email , that in my last article I missed the obvious , that in the summer months people here in the Townsville area swim in the stinger nets , this is to avoid being stung by “Irakanji” or also “Box Jellyfish” . That being so then there is no need for the drum lines or nets where this occurs.
True, Jamie, I forgot that that was one of the most devastating arguments on this issue. And thank you for pointing this out.
The upshot of this also in terms of the shark contract is that thousands of dollars is being spent unnecessarily killing sharks during this period which could be ploughed into the ailing health system , conservation projects or any other area of public benefit .
Cynicismcentral.org demands to know what is going on.
Comments
forgot to mention
The photo in the scanned image above from the Townsville Bulletin purports to be of a 3.8 mt Tiger shark when in fact it is an aquarium "Grey Nurse".
Pat