Should beaches with waters inhabited by sharks use shark nets to protect the public, allowing people to swim freely and without risk, or should sharks be free to inhabit the oceans, safe from the nets of humans?
While shark nets may have saved many swimmers from being attacked, many sharks and other sea creatures become trapped by these nets and die unnecessarily. This is particularly problematic for great white sharks as they are considered a 'vulnerable' species needing protection.
Is it a good idea to remove risk for swimmers with the nets or should humans learn to respect the sea and its inahbitants?
Whose rights are more important - animal rights or human rights?
Some people consider that humans are superior to animals and so this may mean that they would see the use of shark nets as justified.
Other people feel very strongly that animals and human should be both treated equally.
There is also an argument that the sea is 'home' to sharks so while humans might have claims to superiority, in the sea they are strangers, and should treat sea creatures with more respect.
Whose view is right? Is there a 'right' view?
Think about these questions as you read this story from the Sydney Morning Herald:
'A great white shark has been pulled dead from nets at Bondi Beach in Sydney.
The NSW Department of Primary Industries said 'a male great white shark of approximately 2.5 metres in length was found in a shark net off Bondi Beach' on Wednesday morning.
'The shark was found during routine inspections by specialist contractors who carry out operations as part of the NSW shark meshing program,' a spokeswoman said.
Staff will conduct an autopsy for research purposes.
The spokeswoman stressed the nets at Bondi Beach 'do not stretch from one end of the beach to the other' and were 'not designed to create a total barrier between bathers and sharks'.
'They are designed to deter sharks from establishing territories, thereby reducing the odds of a shark encounter.'
The NSW government said shark nets have been in place since 1937 and protect more than 2 million bathers each year.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature classes the great white shark as a 'vulnerable' species, meaning it faces 'a high risk of extinction in the wild'. http://www.smh.com.au/environment/conservation/great-white-shark-pulled-from-nets-at-bondi-beach-20141119-11pp9k.html#ixzz3JV1zZsNP
What do you think? Should Sydney's shark nets be taken down to ensure the great white shark is protected? Or is it people than deserve the protection?
Image source
It is proposed that Sydney's shark nets should be taken down to protect the great white shark