Posted on 07/12/2004 12:46:58 AM PDT by ambrose
Brother defends killer shark
12/07/2004 08:21 - (SA)
Perth, Australia - The brother of a surfer killed in a shark attack off the West Australian coast at the weekend appealed to the authorities on Monday not to kill the maneater.
A helicopter and a boat were used in the hunt by fisheries authorities for two large sharks involved in the attack that killed Bradley Smith, 29, in the Indian Ocean south of Gracetown, near Margaret River, on Saturday.
But Stephen Smith said his brother had died doing what he loved best, and he believed killing the shark would be "an act of senseless revenge".
"We're very close and we're quite shocked, and we're still in the process of coming to grips with what's happened," Smith told reporters. "But I don't believe the shark should be killed for the sake of what's happened."
Other surfers have described the horrifying attack, in which Smith fought for his life after the shark, believed to be a Great White, knocked him off his board.
While one shark, said by a witness to be "as big as a car", was seen mauling him, a second, smaller shark was spotted circling the bloodied waters.
The attack took less than 45 seconds but Smith's injuries were so extensive he was dead by the time he was dragged to the beach.
It was the sixth fatal shark attack in Australian waters since 2000. However, marine conservationists said the latest attack was no justification for shark nets being maintained off popular beaches.
Kate Davey, national coordinator of the Australian Marine Conservation Society, said the nets were an overreaction that put shark populations at risk along with whales, dolphins, turtles and seals.
She argued that there was no proof that nets stopped sharks swimming to the shore, and they were mostly there to ease people's fears.
"Instead of pretending that this issue doesn't exist, and saying put up nets and then we can protect everybody from sharks, what we actually need is a public education campaign to teach people how to live with sharks," Davey said.
"Just like you take precautions when you climb a mountain or you wear shoes when you go for a bushwalk we need to learn what's the best way of living with sharks.
"They are a fact of life, they are out there and they very rarely attack humans but it does occasionally happen - and instead of avoiding the issue let's talk about it and let's start educating the public about it."
The evening news showed an aerial shot of the beach, with the surfboard in view. It looked as if it had a big chunk bitten off of it.
Actualy once an animal has killed a human, it will have lost its fear of humans and will do it again more easily.
The shark should be taken out.
It didn't just "happen". The shark did it.
I would think the brother would want this shark caught and killed, at the very least so that it doesn't attack again.
Maybe so... but hope they get the right sharks. BTW, a human on a surfboard looks like their favorite food, seals.
YUM!
Shark is good for you. My mother used to make shark soup.
I clicked on the 'great white' on that website. It doesn't look too "friendly' to me! ((shudder))
me too... I think I'll admire out shark friends from the convenience of my den thanks!
As if sharks begin life with a great fear of humans... I think sharks begin and end life with only one thought "I'm hungry".
Hunting sharks in the hope of selectively catching this ~one~ shark, as if this is a defective shark that needs killing, is irrationally silly. Hunting sharks to reduce their numbers in the area at least makes rational sense.
If animals deserve rights, then they also should deserve to be punished for eating people.
It doesn't matter what his brother would have wanted. He's gone. What does the next person to be attacked want?
Send them to Florida.
We'll vote them rights, just like the pigs!
No Vote BITE!!
Seconded.
"Just like you take precautions when you climb a mountain or you wear shoes when you go for a bushwalk we need to learn what's the best way of living with sharks."
It's called staying out of the ocean.
Must...understand....root causes.
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