Former Tony Abbott has called for a cull of sharks after a shark attack at Coogee Beach in Sydney. In a video on social media, Abbott described it as “so wrong that we don’t cull sharks after attacks” and proposed establishing a fishery to catch sharks. A woman in her 30s was bitten on the leg and arm by what is believed to be a great white shark on Saturday morning and was in critical but stable condition on Monday.
Professor Rob Harcourt, head of the Marine Predator Research Group at Macquarie University, told the Guardian that culling sharks would not reduce the risk of shark attacks at beaches. “Tony Abbott doesn’t understand risk, he doesn’t understand climate change, and he doesn’t understand the science when he calls for a cull,” Harcourt said.
Another expert pointed out that drone technology might have prevented the attack. The debate over shark culling in Australia is regularly reignited after attacks, with scientists emphasizing that culls do not reduce risk and harm the marine ecosystem.
Source: www.theguardian.com
