Relentless cyclone swells forces removal of shark nets…
The Gold Coast in full cyclonic flower is a marvel that no human ingenuity can manufacturer, notwithstanding Kelly Slater’s Lemoore wavepool. And the last few weeks of waves have been considered, by some, to be the most exquisite in decades.
But did you know the Gold Coast City Council removed 11 shark nets from GC beaches over the weekend (Main Beach, Surfers Paradise, Burleigh, Tallebudgera, Coolangatta, Miami, Bilinga, Kirra, Kurrawa, Currumbin and Mermaid Beach), thereby opening the waves to “prowling sharks”?
As reported by the GC Bulletin, “Fisheries Queensland Acting Manager Shark Control Program Chris Watts said 25 nets would be removed across the state, with 11 to be removed from Gold Coast beaches. ‘Gear that is loose in the water can be a danger to swimmers and that’s why we are removing the apparatuses for a short period.'”
Whatever you think of stringing nets and drum lines to hook potentially deadly sharks, y’gotta admit they’re effective. While Byron Bay and Ballina surfers cower in packs close to shore, not even an hour north, surfers dance all day, all night. How many fatals since shark nets were introduced to the GC more than fifty years ago? Uh, none.
If you examine the shark net catch data, you’ll know why. Three Great Whites were caught in June last year between Burleigh and Surfers. In August, two eight-foot Whites were caught at Kirra. Thirty-five Tigers were caught between Snapper and Kirra, most of ’em around the eight-foot mark.
Oowee, and now the nets are gone?
Are you a little tremulous? Or is the weight of overcrowding so heavy, the weight of claustrophobia so great, that a shark attack (non-fatal, of course) might, in the short term, be a good thing?
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Forget the sharks (and surf for that matter) just for a second……Hey Derek do a piece on the conspiracy theory going around that Katy Perry is actually Jonbenet Ramsey all grown up……quite interesting….
This could thin the lineup – however those of us on mid north coast who are so used to plenty of sharks and no nets, will prob make a bee line straight for goldy. So maybe not!!!
Derek Rielly spreading fear, mistrust, scientific illiteracy
Welcome to beachgrot!
Oh! On what matter of the shark catch data did I get wrong?
Just take offence to the pseudo-scientific tone of the article. It’s too easy to state your pre-existing believe and then cherry pick facts to support it. I get that beachgrit is entertainment and there is no burden of proof to publish on the internet. The messed up thing is that you probably have as large of voice in influencing the public debate as any scientist, because you can make definitive claims, whereas scientist have to say “the data is inconclusive; however”
…but don’t you think even the most ideologically driven scientist would arrive at the same conclusion? Fifty years of shark nets, a radical increase in ocean-goers, and…no fatals?
I don’t know and that is the frustration. For a scientist to make the type of definitive statements you make they would have to prove that there would have been fatalities if the nets were not in place. Not an easy thing to do. In contrast the pseudo-scientist says “y’gotta admit they’re effective” and points to three killed sharks as an examination of the data. Would these three sharks (or any of the other sharks and marine life caught) have resulted in a fatality, had they not been killed? I don’t know. Science sucks like that! It is difficult and takes time/ research
.eleven events on tour… eleven wins for fcs… eleven titles for kelly… eleven sharknets off…
i11umina11i confirmed…?
Could you please clarify which fucks we’re talking about here?
BRAHHHHZIIIIIHLLLL VAI VAI VAI
Let all the nets down and sharks regulate the crowds
We should start dumping all the world’s wasted food somewhere so all the sharkies go there. I’ve been doing some research on where would be best. I’ve found a place where no one can really surf and the water is already filled with waste anyway. It is an area in the Southern Atlantic Ocean off the coast of north eastern South America, just north of Uraguay and south of the Equator.
.try so hard…
I’m sorry Sandy, I need to put a disclaimer on my comments excluding you from all generalizations. They’re actually only directed at James B.
.nah, take it easy my friend… I seldom feel aggravated by those, au contraíre, I like the biased, stereotyped way y’all mock on brazzo features when it’s witty, upvote them all the time.. just not that fun this time, and not so original, I had the joke all figured at “we should start dumping somewhere…”
keep them coming, you’re better than that…
But it wasn’t a joke! I have coordinates!
.exactly, could see that coming right there behind the corner…
I’ve come and to check out the fuss of beach grit and am pleasantly surprised to see the usual hate, feels like I never left Stab and I love it.
I guess they eased up on the censorship because they’re getting so much more traffic now. I’m finding it much harder to get banned here than I did on waves.com.br thats for sure.
ps fuck the sharks saw a big one yesterday surfing the points where i live rite on dark
fuck the sharks.
bit kinky, and I think that bestiality is illegal !!
…but don’t let them blow ya !