WA shark drumlines to stay after Supreme Court ruling

Media Statement

Hon Lynn MacLaren MLC ( WA Greens )

05. March 2014

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Drumlines to remain as injunction refused

Greens MLC Lynn MacLaren expressed concern and disappointment at today’s Supreme Court decision to keep the drum lines in the water, with a requested injunction for the hooks to be taken out for proper judicial review denied.

“While the request for the drum lines to be pulled immediately was denied, we are still hopeful that we will win the case, and the drum lines will be pulled out then,” Ms MacLaren said.

“Despite both environmental and legal concerns surrounding Barnett’s catch and kill policy, the drum lines remain; this is an upsetting decision for 80-95% of Australians that are against the cull. This is also concerning for those that feel unsafe swimming in WA waters with a ‘meat curtain’ hanging just one km off our popular beaches”.

Ms MacLaren emphasised that ‘the short-term disappointment of remaining drum-lines will not slow down the battle for the policy to be halted altogether’.

“This is but a small hiccup on the journey to ending a policy that is rushed, ineffective, ill-thought out and clearly breaching conditions to the EPBC exemption. That exemption should have become void the moment the Premier failed in his commitment to the exemption that involved ‘minimising the environmental impact from the proposed drum line deployment’.”

Source: Lynn MacLaren MLC