Noosa Today - 26th June 2014

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Simulated crash driving home safety message By JOLENE OGLE YEAR 12 students from Noosa District State High School were given a close up view of road trauma this week, with a lifelike traffic crash simulation. Schoolies Week is on the horizon, and the simulation proved a timely reminder for NDSHS students to take care on the road. The simulation included emergency response crews from ambulance, police, fire service and an undertaker who all took part in the confronting event. NDSHS teacher and Queensland Fire and Rescue volunteer, Brad Ensbey, talked the students through the simulation - driving home the road safety message. “We don’t do this to scare the students,” he said. “We’re trying to show them what really happens - the truth.” Four Year 12 drama students did an amazing job acting as the driver and passengers of the crashed vehicle, with make-up used to create life-like cuts and bruises. Picture: JORDAN CULLEN

Our shark shame By JOLENE OGLE PHOTOS of a three-metre long Tiger shark floating lifelessly from a drum line have sparked community outrage, with calls to remove baited lines. Noosa local, Bronte Wootton, took the snaps last Tuesday, while spearfishing off Castaways Beach. Since posting the photos on Facebook, Mr Wootton has received numerous messages of outrage and disgust at the practice from the local community.

Mr Wootton has called for the lines to be removed, labelling drum lines as an “inhumane” way to kill an animal, describing the scene as depressing and sad. “You just see the shark and there is nothing you can do,” he said. “They are just waiting to die. “Everything would be the same without the drum lines.” University of Queensland Professor Mike Bennett, who specialises

in the study of sharks and rays along Queensland’s coast, agrees with Mr Wootton, saying the lines have “zero effect”. “The point I would make about the drum lines off Noosa is that their catch rate is not high, considering how many sharks there are around,” he said. According to the Queensland Shark Control Program, there are 26 drum lines in use along the coast from Noosa to just south of Yaroomba, with two shark nets located off Noosa Main

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Beach and one located off Coolum Beach. Within the three months from 1 January to 31 March, 10 sharks were reported as caught on either drum lines or within nets. Prof Bennett, who studied the catch rates of drum lines and nets, said a plethora of misconceptions surround sharks and the fishing devices used to bait and kill them. “A lot of people consider that the nets are there to keep the sharks away

from the beach, but it’s not the fact,” he said. “The fact is the nets are actively fishing and trying to catch sharks. So that’s why they’re set. They’re not to keep things out. “In fact, most of the sharks caught in the shark nets are on the beach side of the net. In other words, they’re already closer to the beach and they seem to be caught when they’re swimming away.” Continued page 10

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