After a number of shark bites on Australian beaches, the calls for a cull are growing louder. But does killing sharks actually make us safer?
Marine ecologist Dr Jessica Meeuwig (UWA) joins Sarah Han-de-Beaux to separate fact from fear with the data:
Why Hawaii's 1950s cull of over 5,000 sharks did nothing to reduce bites.
Why Western Australia's $1.3 million drumline program caught zero white sharks.
Why “shark numbers are exploding” is biologically impossible.
Jessica unpacks the real ecological role sharks play, from protecting coral reefs to keeping seagrass beds intact, and lays out the evidence-based alternatives actually proven to reduce risk: drones, citizen science spotter programs, deterrent technology and serious investment in research.
A clear-eyed, compassionate, and urgently needed conversation for anyone who loves the ocean.
More Information
http://www.meeuwig.org/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bMn7RuW3Qc
https://sharkspotters.org.za/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysa5OBhXz-Q
https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/management/wolf.htm
https://www.aims.gov.au/information-centre/news-and-stories/sharks-increase-reef-resilience?
https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/conl.12185
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