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Following Attacks, Officials in Western Australia Will Now Shoot Great White Sharks on Sight
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Posted by Derek_Mead on Friday, Sep 28, 2012
 
Through some physics wizardry, great white sharks can hide in plain water. It’s a great skill for hunting, but in West Australia, it’s also now a tool for survival after an Australian premier announced plans to shoot all great whites near beaches on sight.
Spurred by a spate of five fatal attacks on swimmers in the last 10 months, the Australian government announced a $6.85 million dedicated for “shark mitigation strategies” on the continent’s west coast.
The program includes a major change to Australia’s shark mitigation laws. Previously, only sharks that had attacked swimmers could be killed. The new program allows them to be killed on sight, and includes $2 million to the Department of Fisheries for tracking and killing sharks that meander near beaches.
After saying that the new laws won’t incite a shark hunt, Western Australia Premier Colin Barnett infuriated conservationists by dismissing great whites. “We will always put the lives and safety of beachgoers ahead of the shark,” he told a radio station. “This is, after all, a fish – let’s keep it in perspective.”
Great whites, one of the most iconic predators of the world’s oceans, are just a fish? Yeah, conservationists are pissed. From NBC News:
“This may be the most reactionary and archaic res..\
[link to motherboard.vice.com]
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