No one dies! Shark or surfer!
This whole shark thing has got out of hand, wouldn’t y’say?
On the one side, the groovies who are firm in the belief that the life of every shark is god-like and therefore any attempt to mitigate growing populations is immoral and catastrophic.
On the other, pragmatists who believe sharks aren’t any different to the tuna we happily gorge on at the sushi carousel and therefore refuse to build shrines to the animal.
In a town like Ballina where the sudden arrival of Great Whites killed not just surfers but the whole surf buzz, it’s either net the beaches or don’t net ’em. And the problem, if you regard it as a problem, is that nets kill.
Drowning in the nets are the god-like shark, the happy turtle, the even happier and the even more photogenic dolphin and whale etc.
But what if I told that the shaper and possible wavepool inventor Greg Webber, whose brother Dan has become the defacto leader of the pragmatist camp, has designed a shark net that…doesn’t kill.
Webber’s shark enclosure wraps the surfer and swimmer up in metaphorical cotton wool but, through the use of pylons that move and keep the net taut and “little moving elements on the net that flutter enough in the flow of the wave that the entire net will be noticeable to any creature day or night”, it doesn’t trap the damn fish.
Perfect, yes?
Everyone’s a winner and so forth.
Greg sent the proposal, at his brother’s behest to the Senate Standing Committee inquiry into shark mitigation and deterrent measures, an ongoing investigation by the Australian government.
The design, which Greg says is cost-effective as well as non-lethal, took him two days to work out.
“I didn’t event to bother going public on this one. Everyone would just think it’s another crazy Webber idea.”
The net is real simple. Mouth-wateringly simple.
Click here for the PDF submission
Click here for an animation of how the nets move with the waves.
“The animation helps visualise the fact that despite tilting to a moderate degree there is always enough net above the waves to make sure nothing scary pops over the top,” says Greg.
Millions of people, thinking: I don’t want to go swimming in the ocean anymore. That’s not just an inconvenience. That’s taking away from us one of the most important things we can do. Which is to immerse ourselves in the ocean. It’s what we need to be doing more of, not less. We can’t be horrified of going into the ocean.
And the philosophy behind it all is beautiful.
“It’s not just surfers and swimmers but people, millions of people, thinking: I don’t want to go swimming in the ocean anymore. That’s not just an inconvenience. That’s taking away from us one of the most important things we can do. Which is to immerse ourselves in the ocean. It’s what we need to be doing more of, not less. We can’t be horrified of going into the ocean. So if we can’t kill the sharks we’ve gotta keep the two parties apart. There’s too much fighting, people hating each others’ guts over the issue, people virtue signalling online and it’s distracting from a moral issue.”
Well now that we’ve buried another one on the Sunshine Coast we’ll find out how well the baited hooks work
Those baited hooks serve to entice sharks closer,potentially endangering swimmers,the hooks are also dangerous for Ocean users,boat or otherwise…baited hooks are NOT the solution,in fact,they are more of a hazard to swimmers,as sharks swim in closer to get a free feed & if they get injured,look out,an injured shark is not a happy shark…no,the Govt should research better solutions to keep both humans & marine life safer
& in the meantime,instead of fear mongering through media,educate people & place warning signs on ALL beaches,that enter at your own discretion,sharks maybe present! At least this gives an individual to re-think their choice/decision before entering the wilds of the Ocean! Respect & logic goes a long way 😉
Oh I entirely agree Lorraine, that comment was made entirely in satire like most things on grit
The industrial ages pollution has been cleaned up nicely and the Richmond River is feeding the profitable “marine park” as planned long ago. Resources. So we have a good result for the river itself. The biomass has exploded and of course you know who was always gona be top of the chain in multiplication lol..
Kissinger said “control the food control the cattle” I think.
Good on you Greg. Now that we know that greyhounds and sharks are higher priority than Humans we can approach our own ocean safety with a clearer head instead of misinformation. Shame that shark CONservation and sciemce thought little to nothing of it decades ago when they were given free reign and a blank cheque forever.
http://www.imdb.com/title/t…
Most “marine parks” and shark sciemce globally have their own shark attack cover ups going on to hose down the now obvious risks and protect tourism, its disgraceful. Ascension Island Marine Park is the latest MP disaster, then cover up, like Reunion Island and on and on it goes. Duty of Care avoided consistently. Distinct patterns.
They were there well before the white man… agree whale juice and rotting whale probably ain’t the best diterrent
Whites can jump, though. What’s to keep one Free Willying its way in for a feed?
Just flew on a plane from Melbourne to Ballina (how ironic) and tried to count the amount of houses I saw, paddocks and in general the total raping of EVERY piece on available land… I decided to remind myself after every 5 minutes that people are in uproar at the concept of us having a shark net (the length of one house block) here in Ballina… I flew over 3 million fucking houses and people are up in arms over a shark net potentially killing a dolphin or turtle (which the sharks will eat anyway)… WHen I was young it was the right winged people who were retarted, unfortunately its now the left 🙁
“If you’re not Left wing when you’re young you don’t have a heart, if you’re not right wing when you’re old you don’t have a brain ” said someone once.
Difference being,it’s natural instinct/mother nature to take care of their own,mankind need to butt out of the wilds of the ocean/land! Very rare hearing or seeing a Dolphin being taken by a shark,Dolphins are very intelligent & can kill sharks if it wants too 😛
Saying you didnt bother going public while going public is like offending someone and saying no offence…isnt it?
I remember the first time I used sketchup too, Greg
Is Greg putting this forward to avoid fighting Longtom – distraction??
A pal of mine found the shark net submission while searching the background to Webber’s pool company. The first thing Greg said when I called was, Where did you find it?
Greg Webber must stop doing opioids
His computer graphics look way more realistic when your ‘oped up.
I don’t think we have!
Such a majestic bird of flight.
Looks like a bird killing machine.
Sadly, things are a teeny but more complicated than this net design might insinuate.
Hang on a moment Rielly. The pragmatists in this debate aren’t “on the other hand” from the groovies etc. The people “on the other hand” are irrational culture warriors and furious throwback-thinkers who mask their fears by comparing great white sharks to cockroaches, ascribing human motives (revenge etc) to animals, and demanding a sort of general shark-killing as a solution, despite thousands of years of evidence that killing of most kinds usually just creates new problems. The pragmatists are stuck in the middle as usual: worried about people, cautious of inflaming a kill-culture in an ecosystem that’s been wobbly for decades thanks to earlier human interventions, and looking for ways — not a way, but ways — to keep people and large predatory sharks apart from each other.
Which ways are still incomplete and imperfect, but seem to have dramatically reduced the attacks along the north coast of NSW.
GW should present this idea to the NSW DPI and ask them for a grant to develop it, see if it works. The DPI has money for that stuff. Small-bore nets usually don’t work anywhere near surf zones — remember the ill-fated efforts around Lennox and Ballina in 2016 — but you gotta try.
You know I don’t do nuance, Nick…
I think I may be a tiny bit obsessed by this, sadly
We all are
I surfed a place yesterday for the 100th time, first time I’ve felt afraid of sharks since I was a kid. It actually spoiled my session. Yes It was all in my mind I’ve never been so pre occupied with the subject.
Often that happens pre attack. People often have the premonition then they are killed or halved. Ask shark CONservation why Humans were never thought of. Rio Earth Summit maybe..1992′
ah so paranormal is the way we should go, now of course you have the evidence to back up your claims?
You’re more likely to get killed driving in a car or bus mate 😉
If I lived there, I’d be trying waterskiing as my preferred water sport.
They like a moving target sorry. Its been displayed by the GWS many times over history. 100 years of it now. Yesty in SA same thing.
What happened yesterday? Kinda don’t want to ask…
ah so now there’s a 100 years of recorded history , and how fast do they like their moving target?
Nicely said Nick
fuck you Nick , stop being so fucken logical , can’t you get a bit hysterical , by being more pragmatic , and less groovie?
I am sure GW’s nets will actually attract more GWS’s , so that more people will choose his pool , as the word on the street is there will definitely nearly possibly no sharks in his pool , which will be a safe haven for those pragmatists who just would like sandless beaches and only swells in the ocean , as its their God given right as surfers , to make sure that there is no risk from those nasty ocean dwellers!!
See this is why I need you Brutus. You’re the visionary to my, err, pragmatist
http://www.imdb.com/title/t…
http://sharkmanofcortez.com/
http://www.hesawyer.com/sha…
What garbage.
now listen Fuckard , one mans garbage is another man’s treasure , you are out of your depth again!
Since when is it any humans rights to TRY & be the head honcho in the wilds of the Ocean? I’m not just talking sharks either,there are many risks of entering the Ocean & it’s a privilege/choice, not a right to recreate in the Ocean,I have no problem with mankind WANTING to use the Ocean,as long as they RESPECT EVERYTHING there that can only survive in their world,we humans CAN’T live in the Ocean,you wanna take the risk,then own the responsibility of the choices you make as an individual in life, a close friend was taken several years back by a GWS,but he respected & appreciated the wildlife that live in the Ocean & told his wife & children IF ever I encounter a shark & am taken,then I DON’T want it hunted & killed,chances are,they’d get the wrong one & it doesn’t make a difference,(other than to the shark you kill of course) there’s always going to more sharks! It’s simple,1) NEVER swim or dive at dusk or dawn (feeding frenzy times for sharks) 2) NEVER dive alone,3) Best to swim or surf with a mate,be aware/alert at all times & respect the FACT that wild animals live in the Ocean where we choose to recreate!Most of all,know & educate yourself when the whale migration times are,as GWS follow the migrating whales! Logic tells most humans,don’t walk in the jungles of Africa,so WHY does anyone think entering the wild Ocean be any different,we don’t see many humans that want wild animals in the jungle culled,simply for existing in their own environment?
I guess it depends on your perspective about who are the pragmatists, and I’m guessing from your tone that you include yourself in that list.
After the publication of your article in CW about nets last year the local academic and expert definitely did NOT consider you to be a pragmatist.
“A RESPECTED marine ecologist has slammed senior surf journalist Nick Carroll’s attempt to dispel myths surrounding shark nets in his piece for Coastal Watch, Beyond The Panic, The Facts About Shark nets.
“Unfortunately Mr Carroll’s article created more myths than he ‘debunked’,” Dr Daniel Bucher said in a statement to The Northern Star.
The Southern Cross University lecturer took aim at a number of Mr Carroll’s claims, which were published in last Saturday’s Weekend Star.”
Well I don’t know if I am really, but I do have sympathy with the people in the centre of this issue, I think they’ve generally made some pretty good decisions in dealing with it all and they have to put up with being called either “murderers” etc by one “hand” or “morons”, “over-educated” etc by the other “hand”.
As for Dr Bucher, I’m sure we’d get along OK face to face, but I don’t have much sympathy at all for his and others’ complete unwillingness to acknowledge the data about shark meshing and its effectiveness everywhere it’s been tried.
Ask him about the ID process on Zac Young’s shark in 2013′ in and around Recife Brazil shark sciemce is regarded as assassins. Same in Reunion. These are peoples children remember.
I think the point Dell made in the article.
like so many issues now, the middle ground is buried by screaming banshees on both sides.
Attacks come in 3 year cycles. Again no mention of the GWS protected status I see. 21 years of the Great White Recovery Plan should have results yes? Mmm I wonder where those results are now? Bit here bit there.. GWRP Cha Ching..
An XL GWS could kill then spit up 50 people easily in its life. Touring and tagged, taste testing all the nations. It does appear you also work for the GWS (ca$h cow) now Nick. Always about a fish. How many shark victims will it take?
When will it be enough? What will it take? Another child?
Webber loves promoting crap ideas that everyone else already thought of but didn’t bother with doesnt he!?
Net x Webber colab
“It’s so simply it probably won’t work!” Should be said slogan.
Never let good get in the way of done.
Loving sharks, what people who are too insecure to claim to be gender fluid pretend to be
What does Greg actually DO? Love the bastard nonetheless.
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better than bin juice.
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