Former Prime Minister and Liberal Party President Tony Abbott called for the New South Wales government to reintroduce shark culling following an attack at Coogee Beach [1, 2].
The demand reignites a contentious debate over public safety and marine conservation in Australia. Abbott's call for lethal intervention suggests a shift in priority toward human protection over the preservation of shark populations.
Abbott said it is "so wrong" that sharks are not culled after attacks [2]. He said that the current approach fails to prioritize human life, stating that it is "so wrong that we don’t put people before sharks" [1].
Beyond immediate culling, the former prime minister advocated for the establishment of a commercial shark fishery [1]. He based this suggestion on what he described as an explosion in shark numbers [1].
Abbott said it is "so wrong" that such a fishery does not exist given the increase in the shark population [1]. The proposal aims to reduce the number of sharks in coastal waters to lower the risk of encounters with swimmers and surfers.
While the New South Wales government has previously utilized various shark mitigation strategies, Abbott's push for a return to culling emphasizes a preference for lethal removal over non-lethal deterrents. The former prime minister said that the safety of beachgoers should be the primary concern for state officials [1, 2].
“"It’s so wrong that we don’t put people before sharks."”
This call for the return of shark culling represents a push for a more aggressive approach to coastal safety. By advocating for both a commercial fishery and targeted culls, Abbott is proposing a systemic reduction of shark populations to mitigate human-wildlife conflict, a move that typically faces strong opposition from environmental groups and marine biologists.
