Western Australian Tribute, 1/2/2014
OPINION:
Shark Tales
I have been silent on the shark baiting debate so far because as an educated man I can see all sides of the argument, if you’re going to kill an animal, use it.
Why aren't we using the caught sharks for research and science or at least food?
I'm sitting here in Perth in a flash hotel waiting for tonight's fireworks.
I'm watching my kids swim in the luxurious pool, listening to the cricket and flicking through news feeds on Facebook, when I witnessed on my phone the photo of a beautiful large tiger shark being hauled up the side of a boat to be shot and dumped.
My business solely runs on the willingness of humans to swim in and under the sea and lately business has been bad. Business is bad due to a lack of tourists. Where the reef once circled the bay just off the headland the tour boats now must travel further and further away because the ecosystem is getting continuously destroyed by droves of parasitic humans beings. Sharks are an essential part of this ecosystem and as we encroach further into their habitat our interaction with sharks understandably increases, often to the detriment of the tranquil shark, to the detriment of the environment and to the detriment of my tourist dollar.
However, I for one do not want my money and way of life to be justified or subsidized on an ocean of blood. Why should innocent, amazing, necessary living beings be slaughtered so our Aussie way of life can prosper. The government's insistence that beautiful, wild animals are a danger to humans and thus should be murdered, speaks of knee-jerk ignorance and self-serving government policy. Of course sharks pose a danger to humans, they are an apex predator and we are encroaching on their territory, if you don't want to get eaten don't swim where they live. People need to stop being so naïve, these are innocent wild animals. We are the murders, they are just innocent, majestic creatures of the sea and I have to say I would give up this hotel, pool and all the fireworks in the world to bring back the one shark in that picture.
To the majestic female tiger shark that let me swim with her in Fiji – I'm sorry on behalf of the human race.
To the WA government listen to your people. Don’t put re-election and needless policy above beautiful creatures that are as Aussie as snags, kangaroos and the Boxing Day test.
Feeling very ashamed to be an Aussie on Australia Day.
Bill Murray, Coastal Water Dive owner.
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