SHARK MENACE

Northern Advocate, 27 June 1935, Page 8

SHARK MENACE

MESHING ON BIG SCALE. SYDNEY, June 18. The Minister for Local Government (Mr Spooner) announced that he had decided to call for tenders at an early date for the shark meshing scheme recommended by the advisory committee. The committee recommended the adoption for an experimental period of not less than two years of an/ organised scheme of meshing for sharks from Broken Bay to Port Hacking inclusive, at least once weekly, over the entire area, summer and winter. This will be on the basis of payment of a subsidy per week for each boat of approved type (preferably on a sliding scale related to earnings); further, the payment of a bonus of 2/6 per shark over three feet in length of the classified dangerous types caught to a number of 120 per boat per week. It was suggested by the committee that four boats might be used.

The conditions of any contract entered into, Mr Spooner added, would provide for the establishment of adequate plant for the treatment of the catch, and adequate arrangements would be made for supervising the work.

Mr Spooner added that the Government was anxious to bring the scheme into operation for the next surfing season. The adoption of this scheme by the Government would not interfere with the consideration by councils of any proposals for the erection cf sharkproof barriers or other schemes on their own account.

The Government, he said, would give the meshing scheme a thorough trial, and would co-operate with the museum authorities and other scientific bodies in watching the result of the experiment. The councils and surf life-saving clubs would also be asked to carry out observations and keep records.