The Federal Government has contributed $5 million to the cost of re-deploying shark drum-lines inside the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park to improve swimmer safety.
Minister for Fisheries, Mark Furner welcomed the funding saying that restoring the program had been made possible after the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) amended permits that took into account workplace health and safety issues.
“The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries is currently supporting its shark contractors to develop standard operating procedures to ensure the safety of the contractors and workers,” Mr Furner said.
“Contractors will check drumlines regularly (and) other shark species will be released at the site of their capture,” he said.
“If it is unsafe for the contractor, or if there are any animal welfare concerns, sharks will be euthanised.”
Mr Furner said relocating and releasing sharks would reduce the immediate risk to swimmers at that location, but would not remove the risk entirely.
“That’s why we are proposing to implement a range of other swimmer safety measures and continue our Shark Smart education program,” Mr Furner said.
Federal minister for the Environment, Sussan Ley, said human safety was the overriding priority for the Commonwealth and Queensland’s reinstatement of the drumlines was an important step forward.
“We’re delighted to provide funding to assist in Queensland’s transition to a modern, multipronged shark control program inside the Marine Park and in line with the Tribunal’s decision,” Ms Ley said.
Mr Furner said the project would cover SMART drumline trials; rebates to Councils to install swimmer safety netting; piloting drone surveillance; and swimmer education, with further costs to be assessed by Queensland.
He said the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries had been working closely with the GBRMPA) to install the facilities as soon as possible.
It was expected the shark control equipment would be in place this month.