Shark Nets and Shark Attacks

     In the article "Australian Catch-and-Kill Shark Policy, Meant to Reassure, Horrifies Some" by Michelle Innis, the problem of sharks on the coasts of Australia is catching peoples attention. In the past 3 years on the beaches of Australia, there have been seven fatal shark attacks on swimmers. Because of these attacks, the government has decided to make the new "catch and kill" policy in Western Australia, where most of these attacks have occurred. Because of this controversial new rule, there are many opposing opinions on it.
     The "catch and kill" policy refers to bull, great white, and tiger sharks, which 1 has been killed and several more small ones have been caught and released. This policy was made to reassure the swimmers of their safety, but has also horrified conservationists. The attempt to protect sharks because of their dropping numbers seems to be ignored by this law. People have even brought this issue of morality to lawyers, wishing to halt it in courts. Sharks are common along the coast, and the Australian government has installed nets along the beaches to keep them out. Even the nets themselves are controversial because other wildlife is getting caught in them. 338 sharks have been tagged with radio responders so far. When a radio responder comes within 750 yards of one of the monitors, a message is sent to a twitter account for Surf Life Saving Western Australia.
     The writer of this article in some ways hinted that she was against the new policy. When she was talking about the 10 foot tiger shark that was killed, her word choice made it seem like it was a really bad thing to do. She used blunt words in phrases such as "towed the carcass out to sea, where it was dumped". The word dumped implies that it wasn't really cared about that much and it was just tossed out. In the same 1st paragraph of the article, Innis used really graphic details to express the violence and unfairness if the situation. The author also uses a lot of quotes from the side that sharks shouldn't be killed and few from those in favor of them being killed. When Innis was talking about the consequences of the nets, she used very specific details about what kinds of animals were caught in them, which makes it more sad to think about.
     I think that the new rule is unfair to sharks, and the precautions are unfair to all sea mammals who are in danger of getting caught in the net. It is very scary to think about how it's possible to be attacked by a shark at the beach and it's good that the government recognizes that they are scared, but innocent sharks don't have to die because of it. The nets are dangerous to other harmless animals that have nothing to do with this entire issue. I believe that they should catch and release instead of catch and kill because not all sharks have the potential to kill a human.