Sharks will continue to be baited and killed in the wake of two attacks in the Whitsundays, in a move that has been firmly backed by Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk but criticised by conservationists.
Fisheries Queensland have so far caught and killed six sharks in Cid Harbour since Justine Barwick, 46, and Hannah Papps, 12, were bitten in separate attacks last week.
"Can you imagine the public outcry if anything else happened up there in that particular region during school holidays if the Department of Fisheries took no action?" Ms Palaszczuk said on Monday.
Fisheries Minister Mark Furner insists shark nets and baited hooks first installed at Queensland beaches in 1962 have "undoubtedly" saved lives.
He says the government is protecting Queenslanders despite admitting it will never know if they caused the injuries.
But conservationists say killing sharks gives people a false sense of security and the government's response has sparked public outcry.
"That bit is easy and it's lazy policy. Making beaches actually safer is much harder and unrelated to their ability to kill sharks," Sea Shepherd's Jonathan Clark said.
The victims in last week's attacks, which happened less than 24 hours apart, are recovering in Brisbane hospitals.
Australian Associated Press
