Typical Government Stupidity

[chevin]

This is the head line in the local on-line newspaper today.

 

 

ROGUE sharks that attack beachgoers this summer will be hunted down, shot in the head and sawed apart until their spines are severed.

 

The female government member - Ms Thorne - making the statement accuses the sharks of having tiny brains that are difficult to hit with a bullet and so the spine must be severed to kill them.

 

It seems that the idea is to fish for them and once hooked, the shark will be hauled into a boat and then dealt with in the way she suggests. Now most sharks that attack people are pretty big - in fact according to newspaper reports they all seem to be 14 footers - and they weigh quite a lot too. Well in excess of half a ton in fact. So, having hooked and fought half a ton of angry shark, the stalwarts in the boat are then going to haul it aboard and shoot it in the head and cut it in half (with a chainsaw I suppose). Now, I have never lifted a shark of that size into a boat, but I have lifted aboard a number of around 3 feet in length and they certainly don't lay still waiting to be shot. Quite the contrary in fact. They set about wrecking and biting anything they can reach and they are bloody good at it too. There would be no way to control a shark the size of those Ms. Thorne is discussing. If she really think that her idea is managable, I sincerely hope she is involved in the first attempt to put it into operation. One thing, there is little danger of a stray bullet hitting her brain!

Edited January 10, 2010 by chevin

[Clifftop]

The only shark fisherman i knew would pull them up to the side of the boat then use a spear with an explosive head on to finish them off.

 

Cheers Fred

[chevin]

The only shark fisherman i knew would pull them up to the side of the boat then use a spear with an explosive head on to finish them off.

 

Cheers Fred

 

 

Absolutely, the gas injected into the fish by the smokey does a lot more damage than the projectile. I have seen a .45 magnum smokey used on a shark at the side of a boat and the fish never twitched after that!

[Vagabond]

So, having hooked and fought half a ton of angry shark, the stalwarts in the boat are then going to haul it aboard

 

Only feasible way is to tail-rope it and pull up by a gin pole. A shark in excess of 1100 pounds would require a pretty stout gin pole and a fair-sized boat to house that pole and not be de-stabilised.

 

Could be done, although the prospect of some-one wielding a chain saw on a writhing shark in a choppy sea sounds a bit hazardous !

 

....and aren't Great Whites (the likeliest candidates) now a protected species in Australia ?

 

....and what does this woman intend to do about salties, which also eat people, and are also protected ?

[chevin]

Only feasible way is to tail-rope it and pull up by a gin pole. A shark in excess of 1100 pounds would require a pretty stout gin pole and a fair-sized boat to house that pole and not be de-stabilised.

 

Could be done, although the prospect of some-one wielding a chain saw on a writhing shark in a choppy sea sounds a bit hazardous !

 

....and aren't Great Whites (the likeliest candidates) now a protected species in Australia ?

 

....and what does this woman intend to do about salties, which also eat people, and are also protected ?

 

 

Yes, great whites are protected but this treatment is a special dispensation in regards to unauthorised attacks on humans I believe. They have been warned! Salties have not been mentioned as yet, though there are a lot of calls for the same treatment to be meted out to drunk drivers who kill far more people each year than do sharks. It has been suggested that the woman concerned and PETA should be put into contact with each other and I think that might be a good idea! Sharks might have a tiny brain, but I would think that the collective brains of PETA and Ms Thorne would probably take up less room than the brain of a fairly small shark.

[chesters1]

catch them and hack their fins off and sell them ,the returned beast will then have difficulty grabbing people.

my option would be simply to close the beach ! been watching bondi rescue ,some grubby beach somewhere that is dangerous at times . if its dangerous simply close it off with barbed wire .makes sense to me and would save on those **** lifeguard types

[Worms]

I know that this is a bit non PC and a bit ,well, flying in the face of health and safety but as an Englishman I have learnt that the the entire ocean around Oz is full of man-eating sharks. Wouldn't it be safer to warn potential swimmers, surfers etc. that going into a huge bowl of shark soup, (teeth 'n' all) might just be at their own risk?

 

Or would that stupid thought imply that the honourable member (can women politicians be called that?) was a complete waste of taxpayer's money with a brain proportionally smaller than even a very stupid shark?

[Vagabond]

unauthorised attacks on humans......

 

LOL Does that mean that if a shark submits a request on the proper form through the proper channels he can get authorisation to have a couple of sheilas for lunch?

Edited January 10, 2010 by Vagabond

[Worms]

LOL Does that mean that if a shark submits a request on the proper form through the proper channels he can get authorisation to have a couple of sheilas for lunch?

Ah! Now I understand, it's the Human theft caused by a minority of illegal (probably immigrant) sharks that is causing the problem.

 

I have the perfect plan, if new legislation is drafted, banning the taking of Humans under 120cm in length but allowing a maximum of two Humans between 165 and 180cm in length to be taken a day this will stop all illegal shark attacks on Humans.

 

There will be a reduced allowance for the capture of ethnic minority Humans unless thay are deemed to be having a significant negative effect on the environment. There will be a close season that prevents any taking of any gravid female Humans, at any time.

 

Any undersize, gravid or other Human surplus to the legislated allowances must be returned as soon as possible and with the least amount of harm.

 

[Newt]

I think possibly you are all being unfair.

 

After all, this Tiger Shark sighting (off the coast of AUS somewhere I think) is chilling and this one is a known man (well, woman) hunter.