Emma Rooney

Dear Sir/Madam,
 
Your plan, if it is to make a real impact on the damage being done to shark populations worldwide, needs to do three things:

1. To address the issue of 'inadvertant' shark bycatch by commercial fisheries, fishing boats need to be compelled by law to utilise 'shark repellant' substances in the water around their nets/lines. I saw a documentary about this issue somewhere - may even have been in the film 'Sharkwater'. These substances, I believe, contain extracts - possibly hormones? - that convince live sharks that there are dead sharks in the immediate vicinity, and this drives them away from the area instantly. If sachets of this substance were attached to fishing lines and nets, it would theoretically remove the problem of shark bycatch instantly.
   
2. As many shark species are migratory, it is imperative that Australia liaises with other countries on this issue (as the report already acknowledges); admirable as it is that you state your intention to protect shark stocks and habitats in your 'own back yard', it will do limited good if these sharks are being massacred the moment they swim out of Australian waters. But you need to do mare than just 'share research findings'. As a wealthy and forward-thinking country, Australia should take responsibility for spreading the word to its neighbouring countries who are less up-to-speed on this issue: Australia should fund a campaign into parts of SE Asia to promote shark conservation awareness, and assist governments of neighbouring countries to implement and enforce laws protecting the shark populations through the provision of resources such as patrol boats and manpower.
   
3. It smacks of total hypocrisy that a country like Australia can put itself forward as a protector of sharks by banning shark-finning in its own waters....yet, at the same time, allow Australian companies to trade in shark fins (as long as they are sourced from outside of Australian waters) and allow Chinese restaurants to serve sharkfin soup on Australian soil. The entire trade in all shark body parts from all species of sharks needs to be outlawed in Australia with immediate effect; any concession to that mandate is unacceptable, and flies in the face of any genuine attempts to make a difference to shark populations.

Thankyou for taking the time to consider my views on this matter.
 
Yours faithfully,
 
Emma Rooney
 
(Brunei Darussalam)