Backlash is growing after a fourth tiger shark was captured and killed in waters where a woman and young girl were attacked in the space of less than 24 hours earlier this week.
Tasmanian woman Justine Barwick, 46, is recovering in hospital after she was a mauled by a shark in Cid Harbour near Hamilton Island in Queensland’s Whitsundays region on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Melbourne youngster Hannah Papps remains in a critical condition clinging to life after she was bitten in Cid Harbour less than 24 hours later on Thursday.
Backlash is growing after a fourth tiger shark was captured and killed in waters where a woman and young girl were attacked in the space of less than 24 hours earlier this week
The 3.7 metre tiger shark killed on Sunday was caught in a drumline.
‘This shark, like the others, would pose a serious threat to people swimming in the Cid Harbour waters,’ a Queensland Fisheries spokesman told Daily Mail Australia.
‘The shark has been humanely euthanised and will be taken further out to sea for disposal.’
The three drumlines deployed last week will remain in place over the coming days.
‘The intention is to remove large dangerous sharks from the area and reduce the risk to people,’the spokesman said.
‘Clearly there are a significant number of active sharks in local waters and people are urged not to swim.’
While officials remain uncertain whether any of the four sharks killed was behind either of two recent tourist attacks, locals believe the killing is unnecessary.
‘I think it’s terrible. How do they know those sharks are the ones who bit the people?’ Glenn Dray told 9 News.
A woman who lives on a boat in Cid Harbour said two sharks were shot within minutes of each other on Saturday follwong the attacks
Erin Graystone added: ‘I just find it horrible and disgusting that these creatures are getting shot for us being in their territory.’
It comes after people took to social media to give their views on the baiting and killing of sharks in the aftermath of the attack.
‘Why? You possibly got the wrong sharks. It’s their playground not ours,’ one user wrote.
‘And how did they know they were the ‘guilty’ ones,’ another added.
‘That’ll send a clear message through the shark community,’ another Facebook user wrote.
A woman who lives on a boat in Cid Harbour said the first two sharks were shot within minutes of each other on Saturday.
‘Five shots were used on second shark. Minutes after first shark,’ she told The Courier Mail.
‘Sharks are everywhere. We always catch them.’
Human safety is paramount, but the killing of four sharks in response to the attacks isn’t the answer, according to animal rights groups.
‘Public support for these shark control methods is dropping off,’ Humane Society International marine campaigner Lawrence Chlebeck said.
‘We acknowledge the need for the use of technology and reducing these sorts of incidences … but drumlines have been in the water since 1962, that’s 60 years ago now.
Meanwhile, Melbourne youngster Hannah Papps remains in a critical condition clinging to life after she was bitten in Cid Harbour less than 24 hours later on Thursday
‘The technology is there and we’ve moved on.’
The state government insists killing the sharks is in the interest of public safety despite admitting it will never know if they caused the injuries.
The Liberal National Party agrees it’s the right move.
‘I think the action that is being taken at the moment is appropriate, we need to find this killer shark,’ LNP deputy leader Tim Mander said on Sunday.
But Mr Chlebeck and Sea Shepherd’s Jonathan Clark say personal shark deterrent devices, aerial spotters, drone surveys, public education and alert systems play a bigger role in preventing attacks.
‘Stop the nonsense about speaking of ‘effectiveness’ only in terms of their ability to kill sharks,’ Mr Clark said.
‘That bit is easy and it’s lazy policy. Making beaches actually safer is much harder and unrelated to their ability to kill sharks.’
Meanwhile, Mrs Barwick, 46, has since opened her eyes and blinked after spending three days fighting for her life in hospital.
She underwent 18 hours of intensive surgery after she was attacked by a shark on Wednesday afternoon, and it wasn’t until she heard her husband Craig speak almost a week later that she showed signs of life.
Justine Barwick (pictured) has miraculously opened her eyes after hearing her husbands voice, following 18 hours of intensive surgery
The moment before Justine Barwick, who is in the dinghy, is rescued and rushed to hospital
Mrs Barwick was originally taken by helicopter to Mackay Base Hospital in Queensland, however she has since been transferred to the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.
There she received the surgery on her right leg, which was left severely injured in a shark attack at the Whitsundays. Her surgery finished at 1am on Friday, the Daily Telegraph reported.
A group of passers-by found Mrs Barwick with life-threatening bites to her upper right leg on Wednesday night.
The 12-year-old girl mauled by a shark and showed incredible strength when she gave emergency workers a smile and thumbs up after the attack has been revealed as Hannah Papps (pictured)
Hannah Papps,12, was attacked less than 24 hours later in the same stretch of water close to Cid Harbour. The Melbourne schoolgirl remains in a stable but critical condition in hospital.
The shark tore a large piece of flesh from Hannah’s upper thigh.
Her rescuers told the Herald Sun about the moment they loaded her into the air craft and she gave them a smile and a thumbs up.
RACQ Central Queensland helicopter crewman Ben McCauley said it was always difficult for everyone when the victim of an incident was a child but she showed strength beyond her years.
‘We would like to thank everyone who has helped and cared for Hannah, including the police, emergency services and the hospital teams,’ her family said in a statement.
‘We ask that everyone, including the media, please respect our family’s privacy during this very difficult time so we can focus our energies on Hannah’s recovery.’
A baited drumline is a favoured technique for luring and killing sharks by using a large hook with bait
Two Tiger sharks have already been caught and killed in Cid Bay both were caught on baited drumlines (pictured)