EPA recommends shark drum lines are not to be implemented along WA beaches. Photo: Aleisha Orr <\/p>\n
Drum lines will not be deployed off West Australian beaches this summer. <\/p>\n
Premier Colin Barnett said the government did not plan to appeal the Environmental Protection Authority's decision rejecting the state government's shark kill zones proposal. <\/p>\n
He said while the State Government would not be appealing the EPA decision, the application for drum lines was still before Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt. <\/p>\n
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\"We are accepting the EPA decision here so we are not going to appeal it. That means it will not be possible to have drum lines over this summer. If we were to do so there would clearly be court challenges and you would never get there, the Premier said. <\/p>\n
Mr Barnett said it appeared there were different rules for the eastern states, where drum lines are allowed, and Western Australia. The government would now focus on how to deal with rogue sharks that threatened public safety, he said. <\/p>\n
\"I dont think that drum lines will apply in Western Australia for this summer and probably maybe not again. I would want to have the capacity to deal with an imminent threat and deal with it immediately. A process of conversations going backwards and forwards to Canberra has proven to be totally ineffective.\" <\/p>\n
\"I cannot simply walk away and say that's the EPA decision. They only look at the environment. I have to look at environment plus public safety. I don't like drum lines more than anyone else but I had to respond to a situation of seven fatalities in three years.\" <\/p>\n
He said the government would look at putting swimming enclosures at beaches where there were calm waters, for example at Dunsborough. <\/p>\n
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Government pulls up drum lines<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" EPA recommends shark drum lines are not to be implemented along WA beaches. Photo: Aleisha Orr Drum lines will not be deployed off West Australian beaches this summer. Continue reading