Australia has installed shark nets along some beaches to protect people from sharks. The results are not good for marine life.
The majority of the animals caught were not sharks. Over half of those animals died as a result of being caught in the nets.
Many threatened or protected species were among those caught.
http://news.google.ca/news/url?sr=1&ct2=...t=2&at=dt0
The nets may be beneficial to tourism, but the price in animal deaths is very high. I picture a dolphin or turtle caught in the net struggling as it drowned because the net prevented the animal from surfacing for air.
I hope the tourists had lots of fun. Animals died to make them feel safe.
The nets might seem like a good idea, but the negative results far out way any positive results.
I agree with you, Catherine. A terrible tragedy. This part of the article you cited shows the real underlying motive (money):
'Mayor of Ballina Shire Council David Wright said the installation of shark nets had rejuvenated tourism on the state's far north coast.
"It's totally different to last Christmas," he said.'
Tourism is a multi-million even multi-billion dollar industry. For some of these towns/cities tourism is their only real means of survival. So yes we can understand that they want to make it safe for tourists. However in this case the results are terrible. A few paying tourists feel safe, but hundreds of animals die. I wouldn't want a holiday at that price.
We need to find other ways of using the ocean safely. It would help if humans didn't swim like sick fish. We attract the sharks.
Surely we can learn to understand why sharks attack us and find ways to stop doing what ever it is that causes the attacks.
Also, there are few shark attacks compared to the number of humans who use the ocean. The numbers don't justify the number of marine animals that are killed.
If they have to use nets can they find something that is not a danger to sea life.
I just hope they can be convinced to remove the nets that are there. It is heartbreaking to think of all the animals who have suffered.
Perhaps Christmas 2016 was vastly different to christmas 2015 because 2015 was cooler and raining! He obviously couldn't imagine that being a factor.
Majority of the public is hugely against the shark nets. Even those who have had a shark encounter before. But councils never listen to the public. They only like the "cha-ching"
So many quick fix solutions turn out to be the wrong way to do things. I am glad most people are against the nets. That gives me hope that they can be removed or at least no new ones put up.
Quote:Perhaps Christmas 2016 was vastly different to christmas 2015 because 2015 was cooler and raining! He obviously couldn't imagine that being a factor.
There are always other factors. If you are going to analyse data you need to look at all the things that affect it. It is easy to come up with cause and effect conclusions. Sometimes things are unrelated. How many tourists knew about and understood the significance of the shark nets. How many of those tourists planned to go into the water where they would be at risk.
If you don't look at those factors the conclusions are meaningless.