SYDNEY: Conservationists on Monday slammed the baiting and killing of sharks at a popular Great Barrier Reef tourist spot after two swimmers were attacked, saying the policy was brutal and indiscriminate. Fisheries Queensland said Monday that six sharks — five tiger sharks measuring up to 3.7 meters (12 feet) long and one smaller black tip shark — were killed after being ensnared in the drumlines. The attacks have revived debate about the best policies to reduce shark encounters. Conservationists have been critical of the use of drumlines, saying they are a blunt instrument that would often catch other marine creatures as well. Marine scientists have also said that killing sharks could disrupt the ecology of the ocean.

Source: Manila Times September 24, 2018 12:22 UTC