This week, shark drum lines have been removed from the Great Barrier Reef following a Federal Court ruling.
Queensland government uses the drum lines or unmanned traps to lure sharks using baited hooks - agencies later kill the sharks, a practice the Federal Court in April ruled inhumane, forbidding the Queensland Department of Fisheries to shoot the animals.
The Federal Government and Queensland Opposition want the sunshine state to follow the approach in NSW and Western Australia, where smart technology alerts authorities when a shark has been hooked. Authorities then tag the shark and release it one kilometre away.
Queensland Fisheries Minister Mark Furner states that it would be ineffective to have drum lines in place and release sharks across the waters in Townsville’s Magnetic Island, as that is a prime location where people swim and enjoy sports.