A win for sharks

by Nathaniel Pelle on 25 Sep 2014 Fantastic news! Western Australia has cancelled its shark cull this summer. This was made possible with a little help from my fins.

Earlier this year, thousands of Australians, including you, united to stop this brutal and unnecessary practice. I’ve never seen anything quite like it - protesters gathered on beaches from Manly to Margaret River and flooded Environment Minister Greg Hunt’s inbox with nearly a quarter of a million emails calling on him to stop the cull. Minister Hunt and WA Premier Colin Barnett couldn’t hide from your outrage, so the cull won’t be back this summer.

Thank you! You should be proud, you made this win possible.

The WA shark cull trial that began earlier this year killed 68 sharks and has cost the WA Government $1.3 million. The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), which reviewed the trial, has recommended the State Government’s proposal to deploy drum lines off WA beaches this summer be abandoned. Premier Colin Barnett said it will not be appealed.

This is a great victory for sharks, for the health of our oceans and for the environment.

To be frank, it’s not been an easy time for the environment movement this past year. But it’s really fantastic to see that Australians who respect the ocean and this beautiful country we call home are not going to stand by and let it be ruined. This one victory just goes to show that people power does work and we hope you continue to keep up the fight our oceans and our environment.