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Whitsundays shark attacks occurred in swimming 'no-go zone', conservationists say

Four tiger sharks were killed at the weekend by baited hooks dropped into Sawmill Bay by Fisheries Queensland following the attacks on Justine Barwick, 46, and Hannah Papps, 12, in the Whitsundays.
Four tiger sharks were killed at the weekend by baited hooks dropped into Sawmill Bay by Fisheries Queensland following the attacks on Justine Barwick, 46, and Hannah Papps, 12, in the Whitsundays. Photograph: Jeff Rotman/Getty Images

The central Queensland harbour where two people were attacked by sharks in recent days is known to Whitsunday locals as a “no-go zone” for swimming, Queensland-based conservationists say.

Jonathan Clarke, from Sea Shepherd Australia, has spent months inspecting shark drum lines in Queensland. He said the drum lines were often left for days without bait, creating “a false sense of safety” for swimmers.

Four tiger sharks were killed at the weekend by baited hooks dropped into Sawmill Bay by Fisheries Queensland following the attacks on Justine Barwick, 46, and Hannah Papps, 12.

Clarke said fishers often caught sharks at the site of the attacks.

“I do know locals who know it very well, and very much the feeling is this is a known area ... as a safe mooring place but it is murky water and it’s not necessarily a safe swimming place,” he said.

“[Drum lines are] certainly not going to make it better. So far they’ve caught four sharks, they’re medium-sized tiger sharks. There’s a lot of very large sharks in that area that seem to frequent that area a lot.

“One of the best mitigation methods is good public information. Were locals and visitors adequately warned following the first bite incident?”

The state government insists drum lines have been effective and their use is supported by Labor and the Liberal National party in the state.

However, Clarke said there was no evidence that was the case. He said his investigation of drum lines showed they were often not even operational.

“Up in the north, in Cairns, Townsville and Mackay, they’re using mullet on the lines. Within the day, they’re laid out, a lot of the bait is taken. When we monitor it over days and days ... one day we found three of 54 drum lines at Townsville were baited. One day in Mackay, 100% of those drum lines did not have any bait.

“It’s not even a false sense of safety, it’s actually a placebo.”

Clarke said he would not advocate for more regular baiting of the drum lines. Over decades of shark control in Queensland, he said baiting had in some cases created known shark feeding areas.

Hannah Papps, 12, was holidaying from Melbourne with her father and sister when she received a life-threatening wound to her right leg on Thursday while swimming in shallow water in Cid harbour.

Her attack came after Tasmanian Justine Barwick, 46, was bitten on her left thigh while snorkelling in the same area less than 24 hours earlier.

Barwick has undergone a marathon 18-hour surgery to save her leg. Her husband, Craig, said she was awake and communicating with him by blinking.

Both victims are in hospital in Brisbane and Hannah is in a critical but stable condition.

“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.”