08/10/2026
To the “It’s their ocean” brigade…that is not an argument.
Sharks belong in the ocean. So do people. We manage crocodiles, dangerous wildlife and countless other risks to human life without demanding their extinction. Why should sharks be the one exception? This isn’t about wiping out sharks. It’s about using science, technology, monitoring and targeted intervention to reduce the risk.
The idea that we must simply accept preventable deaths because “we entered their home” is a failure of basic common sense.
Fisheries minister Jackie Jarvis says she wants to wait for updated population data from the CSIRO before making any decisions around managing the shark population.
The issue has been in the spotlight since the death of a swimmer off Sorrento in September - the third fatal shark incident recorded in WA since May this year. As well as an increase in shark sightings after a dead whale washed up on City Beach last week.
Ms Jarvis said it was clear that there were more sharks since the international protection order was issued but the last stock assessment still classed them as vulnerable.
“We will have the new CSIRO data in May next year,” she told Nadia Mitsopoulos on 102.5 ABC Perth Mornings.
“I will wait for the new stock assessment.”
Ms Jarvis also revealed that after she issued a catch and kill order for the shark that took swimmer Greg O'Neill at Sorrento Beach on September 18, many members of the public expressed their opposition.
“I've literally been inundated with hundreds and hundreds of letters saying that we need to protect our apex predators,” she said.
“There are serious issues if you take out all apex predators out of an ecosystem.
“I think it's a conversation we need to have across our community because I'm not sure there's a lot of interest in culling of sharks.”
She said even if protections were to be relaxed, she was not sure it would make a large difference to shark populations.
“We're not going to have a new large scale commercial fishery of white shark because I don't think it would be economical,” she said.
“It's not a shark that you'd be selling in a fish and chip shop.”
📻 ABC Perth, now on 102.5FM.
