End to drum lines 'no surprise'

The contractor employed for last summer's shark drum-line trial is not surprised by the Barnett Government's decision to walk away from the policy after the environment watchdog rejected it.

Graeme Pateman, who carried out the South West leg of the program for 13 weeks until April 30, said he had always assumed the extended policy might not go ahead.

Mr Pateman agreed with Colin Barnett that dropping the policy could leave people less safe, particularly in the South West.

The comments came after the Premier admitted he could have forged ahead but did not want any more demonstrations, court challenges, threats and violence.

It also came amid questions over why Mr Barnett still wanted the Commonwealth to assess the policy given the Premier had ruled out fixed drum lines along the WA coast.

Instead, Mr Barnett said he would look at giving Department of Fisheries' officers more power to kill "rogue" sharks.

On ABC radio yesterday, Mr Barnett said the Environmental Protection Authority had made a recommendation rather than a ruling but he would not proceed with drum lines.

"We would simply be caught up in the courts and disputes and probably more demonstrations, more threats, more violence," Mr Barnett said.

"I don't want to see that happen in WA."

Greens MLC Lynn MacLaren pointed out the Department of Fisheries website dismissed the rogue shark theory as "unsubstantiated" and based on movies such as Jaws.

Opposition Leader Mark McGowan said Mr Barnett wanted the Commonwealth to reject drum lines so he could blame Canberra for the policy's demise.

Explaining the EPA's decision on Thursday, the regulator's chairman Paul Vogel said there was too much uncertainty about how the drum lines would affect the environment, particularly endangered great white sharks.

Under the Government's proposal, baited drum lines were to be set off beaches in Perth and the South West between November 15 and April 30 for the next three years to catch great white, tiger and bull sharks bigger than 3m.

Former EPA chairman Barry Carbon took a swipe at the watchdog yesterday, saying it had sourced advice from shark conservationists to reach a pre-determined outcome.

Mr Pateman, who had tendered for the South West part of the extended program, was philosophical about the situation, saying he understood the EPA's concerns even if anecdotal evidence suggested an increase in shark numbers.

"We were told all along and even during the tender process that it may or may not go ahead and so we've tempered all our thoughts with that understanding," he said.

Undeterred by the chilly breeze yesterday morning, the vast majority of the Cottesloe faithful who * _The Weekend West _ * spoke to were pleased the drum-line policy had been axed. Andrew Packard drives 30km from his home in Woodbridge for a dawn swim at Cottesloe with up to 20 friends every morning.

"I'm just glad they are not attracting sharks here anymore. There will be no hanging chunks of meat offshore anymore," Mr Packard said, referring to the bait on a drum line deployed 1km off Cottesloe last summer. "We are in their territory. It's their ocean. It's a concern but it's the risk you take."

Georgie McGurk, 18, joined her father Stephen on his regular morning ocean swim, and said she was willing to take the risk of swimming at the beach.

"We are invading their homes essentially," she said.

"They have just as much right as we do.

"I'm not too worried but I always stay close to my dad."

I'm just glad they are not attracting sharks here anymore," Cottesloe swimmer Andrew Packard