TROUBLE LURKING: Henley Surf Life Saving Club secretary Kevin Fitzgerald at Henley jetty, South Australia. He says some fishermen are illegally baiting sharks.
ROGUE fishermen are using chicken carcasses and cuts of lamb to lure sharks closer to shore, surf lifesavers warn.
Henley Surf Life Saving Club president Neville Fielder said recreational fishers doing 'the wrong thing' off the jetty, the beach and boats would attract sharks from farther afield.
'It's when people are using what's been declared as illegal bait - so that might be fat, chickens, lamb and things like that. That's what the issue is,' he said.
'It's been banned for a reason and it is being done. I speak to people who have witnessed these things happening.'
He was told Fisheries officers were monitoring the situation, looking out for large hooks, wire trace and animal products, but remained concerned illegal activity was going on undetected.
On Saturday, club secretary Kevin Fitzgerald watched nippers train surrounded by shark bait. 'They're paddling their boards out and the sharkies are up there with their balloons with meat hanging off it, right where we're training,' he said. 'It's not a good image to portray to the parents, for a start.'
The warning comes as two large sharks were caught off Henley Beach within a fortnight. They may have been attracted closer to shore as a result of illegal activity by other fisherman.
Peter Dietman, fisheries and aquaculture manager regional operations for the Department of Primary Industries and Resources of South Australia, said that in the past a number of people had been fined for using animal or meat products, but shark fishing was not illegal.
'The oceans are there for everyone to use within the rules, but we ask fishers to be conscious of the fact that there are other people using the sea and similarly it goes the other way,' he said.
'No one has sole rights over it. We just ask people to recognise that other people are entitled to have access to the areas as well and to be as fair and reasonable as they can.'
He said the penalty for unlawful berleying using animal or bird products would depend on the circumstances. Fisheries officers can issue a $210 on-the-spot fine or, if the offence is serious enough or involves repetitive behaviour, they can opt to prosecute with fines up to $2500.
Lifesaving patrols started on Saturday.
Report any illegal activity to FISHWATCH on 1800 065 522.
From The Advertiser: Illegal Shark Bait Fears
High-speed chase ...
Surf lifesavers chase the 3m shark from Grange Jetty.
A MENACING shark lurked near crab pots off Grange Jetty yesterday, amid claims fishermen were baiting the predators closer to shore.
Yesterday's drama began when the three-metre bronze whaler was spotted near the jetty just after 1pm. Aerial photographs reveal the shark swam around crab pots slung from the jetty before it was driven away by air and sea lifesaver patrols. The Sunday Mail also discovered chicken carcasses strewn on the jetty yesterday afternoon.
Grange Surf Life Saving Club president Robert Thompson blamed fishermen illegally baiting crab pots with chicken carcasses for attracting the sharks closer to shore – and putting swimmers in danger. He said both his lifesavers and beachgoers had witnessed the practice, which was banned in 2007. "We certainly think this is a contributing factor," he said of the shark presence.
"The fact that the majority of sharks around this year have been hanging around jetties has got to speak for itself. "Whatever people are doing off the jetty, it is creating food for sharks. "We've got juniors and our own members in the water all the time and it is a major concern that it is happening." Mr Thompson said the number of sightings had forced Grange to restrict the club's junior training session yesterday to the shallows at the beach. Evening training had been shifted to West Lakes, he said.
The shark sighting at Grange was one of three bronze whalers – all ranging from two to three metres in size – spotted in just two hours close to swimmers yesterday. The first was spotted 50m off Henley Beach at 11.50am, and the last at 1.40pm, just 20m off-shore at Grange, 500m north of the jetty. There have been 18 confirmed shark sightings since summer patrols started. A lifesaver, who did not want to be named, told the Sunday Mail the record number of sightings was frightening swimmers out of the water. "People are scared so they stay away," he said. "We're seeing less and less people in the water."
Father of two John Kontoutsikos, who was on Grange Beach with his family yesterday, said he was keeping his children close to the shore. "It's hard to go here with the kids and swim because it's scary," he said.
"They're (sharks) coming close to the shore and something could happen."
Jade Tornquist, 31, of Plympton, was keeping a close watch on her son Jacob, 12, and daughter Gabrielle, 10, as they went into the sea with the Grange Nippers. But she was reassured by the presence of surf lifesavers on patrol. "I suppose you can get hit by a bus too, but you do worry when you're out in the water," she said. "There's always a chance that things could happen and they (children) can't be saved."
Surf Life Saving SA state manager Shane Daw said his members had reported a "small number" of people "allegedly" throwing chicken carcasses into the water. Mr Daw said it was not uncommon for sharks to hang around a particular area for a number of weeks. "We hope in the next couple of days they will move on," he said.
In December, 2007, fisheries regulations were tightened making it illegal to use meat products as berley because of concerns it would attract sharks.
Mr Thompson said the heightened publicity around the shark sightings also had attracted more people to the jetty to try to catch gummy sharks. "As far as we're concerned, we believe it (gummy shark fishing) should be illegal," he said.
Primary Industries and Resources SA acting executive director of fisheries Kelly Crosthwaite said the department had received increasing reports of people using chicken carcasses and meat products.
"If people are using small bits of chicken in their crab pots, it wouldn't be a major factor in attracting sharks," she said.
People face a maximum $2500 fine if caught using animal products in the pots.
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