A recent bombshell during Budget Estimates in Queensland parliament, revealed yet another flaw in the outdated Queensland Shark Culling Program (QSCP).
 
Greens MP Michael Berkman, took the Budget Estimates process as an opportunity to probe the extensive spending by the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries on killing sharks, as part of the QSCP.

During this process, the Department revealed that, despite the main intent of the QSCP being to reduce shark bites (as stated by the Department, and as mandated by the Fisheries Act 1994), the Department does not track shark bites in Queensland (Budget Estimates 2021, p69).
 
This bombshell means that the effectiveness of the program is not monitored or measured by the Department.
 
This revelation may have significant legal implications for the Department who may now be in breach of the Queensland Fisheries Act 1994. This is in addition to their breach of the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 for expanding and intensifying their program, in direct contravention of Section 43B.

We will keep you posted as we investigate legal options.