SHARK MENACE

Opunake Times, 23 July 1937, Page 1

SHARK MENACE

AUSTRALIAN BEACHES TRAWLING SUGGESTION The Government of New South "Wales is being urged to take action to protect surfers on metropolitan beaches from the menace of sharks next summer. The Government, it is understood, is prepared to establish a trawling service which will mesh along the beaches, as recommended by the Shark Menace Advisory Committee, but it is not prepared to establish a secondary industry which will use the sharks and other fish caught by the trawl for manufacture into various by-pro-ducts. Without the market provided by the secondary industry, it is considered that the cost of trawling would be prohibitive. It is expected that the Minister for Local Government, Mr. Spooner, will make recommendations to the State Cabinet on the subject, but, unless the trawling is commenced almost immediately it will be too late to be effective this summer. "Only Practicable Method" "It will be indeed tragic if we have to wait for another shark attack to rouse the public to the need for early action," said the president of the Surf Life Saving Association, and the former chairman of the Shark Menace Advisory Committee, Mr Adrian Curlewis. "It is now nearly three years since the committee made its report, and public feeling, which was shocked by a succession of shark attacks, has again died down."

"After considering' all proposals made, the committee decided that meshing was the only practicable method of reducing the risk of attacks. The committee was satisfied that systematic meshing in denned areas does very greatly reduce the number of sharks within those areas. Unfortunately, it would take at least three or four months for a trawling service to be established, and it would be six or eight months before such a service could be effective. Government Viewpoint "It seems now—unless something is done at once—that another year must pass before effective protection is possible," said Mr Curlewis. "It would be particularly tragic if there was a shark attack while the interest, of the world is focussed upon its during the 150th' anniversary reparations."

Mr Spooner said the Government was anxious that a comprehensive system ot trawling should be begun, but obvious!? it could not establish a larjre secondary