Story by News Ltd.
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BYRON BAY locals have expressed serious concerns about the decision not to erect shark nets in the area, amid revelations Byron Bay High School cancelled surfing as a school sport activity during the last term of 2016 due to an “unacceptable risk” to students from sharks.
Byron Bay High School Principal Peter King wrote to parents during the last term: “The school is increasingly worried about the heightened risks associated with ocean based sports due to increased shark activity on the North Coast.”
“In our opinion there is currently an unacceptable risk associated with these sports for our students and we have taken the decision to cancel these sports for the remainder of this term.”
Neil Cameron, a real estate agent for LJ Hooker Byron Bay, and president of the area’s Boardriders Club, has mocked the decision to deny Byron Bay nets in favour of manual shark-watching techniques.
“The hot item for Ballina and Lennox Head is nets. Byron gets shark spotting and drones. But there’ll be a lot of untrained eyes doing our shark spotting. They’re calling for volunteers – so what quality of spotting are we going to get?
“They can’t possibly cover the areas surfers are occupying.”
He said the lack of nets had potentially massive economic implications: “Byron Bay is one of the major international tourist destinations on the east coast of Australia, and the tourists coming here do so with the belief they’re going to be safe in the water.”
“But where’s the duty of care? The NSW Government and Byron Shire council have an obligation to make sure people coming here are safe. Why net Ballina and Lennox, and not Byron? People are thinking that the sharks that don’t go to Ballina will swim north, and the first point of entry is Byron Bay. It doesn’t get any more absurd than that.”
Great article about the shark situation….Being a past shop owner I got to talk to a lot tourists over the years… Do half the morons who wank on about the ecology MAN…can they think with their Lattes in there hands about the man taken not that long ago?
Go smoke your weed wankers, BUT remember the place is supposed to be family….
Have another sip on your Lattes precious ones…
That made sense. Not!