What is happening in Australia - macho shark slaughterers everywhere

One of our underwater.com.au members alerted me to this story and yes there have been way to many crazt stories like this in the press lately.

Jo's words on this topic:

Many more similar stories that are surfacing lately about shark spottings, shark catchings and whether that ties in with an increase in attacks (which I dont agree with). It's cowboys like these that aren't doing the causes of 'saving the grey nurses' and 'banning shark finning' any good when it assists to instill the fear of sharks with an uneducated and misinformed source.

Lets be real here, yes it's their domain, and yes they are an apex predator, however that does not give humans the right to kill them or cull them for our satisfaction or reassurance.

PLEASE, let us 'educate' people about sharks in an informed manner and with the correct information and statistics about individual shark species, speculation does nothing to assist the sharks survival, it only sells more newspapers.

Check out this crazy story in the Manly Daily:

'KNOWN to mates as Steve Irwin Junior, this devout fisherman has had his fair share of shark tales - literally.

In a revelation that will send a chill down the spine of all northern beaches swimmers, last week Damon Horak caught this 2.74m, 150kg bull shark just off North Head.

It took the 20-year-old Lindfield fisherman just half an hour to bring the beast in, and took more than five men to lift it into the 4m boat.

``It's all about the challenge,'' Mr Horak said.

``It was me and another guy on my boat and there was no way we could lift it, so we got a hand hook and put it in its mouth and tied a rope to it, but the rope snapped. ...'

more at: http://www.manlydaily.com.au/article/2007/03/01/3185_news.html

Contributed by Tim Hochgrebe added 2007-03-01

Replies of 5

DavidO added 2007-03-01: I was gobsmacked this morning to see this article. It only encourages any idiot in a tinny to get out there and kill these amazing creatures to get their picture in the paper!?!?!? Steve Irwin Junior? steve Irwin would be turning in his grave! More education please!!!!!! Lets prevent He-Man and his mates killing anymore!!

MattH added 2007-03-01

Howdy, My letter to the editor went as follows.

Greetings, I like the fact that you put in the quote "none of the bull shark was wasted" but really it was a weak attempt to save a lost article. The fact that you print stories like this does not de-rail people from going out to kill sharks themselves. The article is biased towards killing sharks and using them for selfless entertainment and one upmanship with sensless fishing.

Also if "Mr.Steve Irwin jr" did his research he would find that he is not upholding a great persons name, he is spitting on his grave by assuming he has any resemblance with the great conservationist. He has none and it is shameful that you used that quote. You didn't even recognize this either. No good reporting here.

Sincerely

Matthew Hawksworth

Jo added 2007-03-01

Good job by all who felt strongly enough about this situation to volunteer their concern to the Manly Daily. They were inundated with response (both within Aus and Intl) and have commented further

http://www.manlydaily.com.au/article/2007/03/02/3213_news.html

Jo Northey OWSI 472296

AndrewB added 2007-03-02

Sent this to the Manly Daily, just my 2 cents worth...

Re: This one didn't get away- Manly Daily, 01/03/07 Fair enough, fishing is a sport but animals like that Bull shark don't grow overnight. Catch and release. Just cut the line and let it go. The ocean needs these animals to keep clean, they are the garbos of the seven seas and hence not really that good or safe to eat anyway. I'm stoked the Makos or Great whites got away, a couple of magnificent creatures that have, for the time being, escaped the crazed mentality of some folks. Maybe I'll bump into them next time I go for a surf, when I'm trespassing in their domain.

Andrew Burns

Andrew Burns www.imajicaphotography.com

Kossak added 2007-10-11

This carachter Damon Horak "mr Steve Iriwin Jr" even has his own fan club. Now it is easy to understand the mentality of this Vagabond.http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=5027826939

This same villian ruthlessly slaughters fauna and leaves their corpses to rot on unwary peoples door steps. Attatched is his second blog site. http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=19368216528

Replies of 5

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