THE Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) will soon ask for public comment on the state government's plans to extend its shark baiting program.
Members of the public will be able to make submissions on the WA Shark Mitigation Drum Line Program for 2014-2017 for four weeks, with the feedback to be used in the EPA's assessment of the validity of extending the program.
The proposal would involve installing 72 baited drum lines off the metropolitan and South West coast.
The drum lines would be active for four and half months each year for three years starting on November 15 and finishing April 30, 2017.
The EPA will assess the proposal to determine whether the environmental impacts can be managed and, if so, how.
The EPA is yet to announce when the four-week period for submissions will open.
"Unlike this summer’s 13-and-a-half week drum-line program, the EPA will need to undertake a detailed assessment of the environmental impacts...to determine whether or not the EPA’s objectives for marine fauna can be met,” EPA chairman Dr Paul Vogel said.
Earlier this year Mr Vogel announced the EPA would not investigate the drum line trial because the environmental impact of the short term program was expected to be "negligible".
There were 543 public comments on the drum line trial registered on the authority’s website.
There were also more than 9,000 comments lodged with the authority via the Conservation Council.
The majority of these opposed the deployment of drum lines for catching and destroying sharks.
“The decision to require environmental assessment of the 3-year cull plan is a win for community and a win for common sense," Conservation Council director Piers Verstegen said.
“The EPA must ensure that a rigorous assessment process is undertaken that examines the cumulative impacts of ongoing shark culling on our marine environment."
The proposed "marine monitored" areas where drum lines would be placed include the stretch of coast from Ocean Reef to Port Beach in Perth, and coastline from Quindalup to Prevelly in the South West.
It includes a provision for responding to identified shark threats and incidents at any time within WA waters.
The EPA’s report and recommendations will be released later in the year and will be open to appeal.
