I stand corrected:
www.fish.wa.gov.au/Documents/occasional_publications/fop108.pdf"A key environmental issue with the use of mesh nets for shark control in both Queensland and NSW, is
that catch rates of by-catch species were exceptionally high in the years just after placement of the nets
in the water and then declined to relatively constant levels (Green et al., 2009). The most likely
explanation for this is that the mesh nets ???fished down??? the local populations of a number of by-catch
species. This is not surprising since the aim of shark nets is to fish down local fauna ??? specifically larger
individuals of key species. It follows that local by-catch species are also likely to be fished down. In the
case of dugong in Queensland and grey nurse sharks in NSW, the declines in the local populations are
important in the context of the population as a whole. Similarly, in Western Australia the implementation
of shark nets is likely to result in very high catch rates of by-catch during the initial few years."
The report focuses heavily on nets, which the author seems to use interchangeably with shark control as a whole. Nets dominate the conclusions. They do grab a lot of other animals, though only 2-3 dolphins per year in NSW.
Presumably why WA is going to use lines and hooks....
