In Noumea, the killing of sharks to secure beaches provokes debate

Lucie De Perthuis 09:51, March 21, 2023

In Noumea, New Caledonia, sharks spread panic with repeated attacks. In late February, an Australian tourist was killed in an attack. The capital of New Caledonia has closed its beaches until the end of the year pending the installation of shark nets. A culling campaign was also launched.

Regular catches

During the first round of culling, 23 tiger sharks and bulldogs were captured in five days. These predators measure between four and five meters. For Sonia Lagarde, the mayor of Noumea, these fishing campaigns, called levies, are inevitable.

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"I'm a bit helpless because I have scientists who have opposite opinions. You have a majority of the population who think that we should take a levy. That's the only way out I have. I will continue to take samples on a regular basis, that is to say every two months or every three months," she explains.

Lack of scientific consensus

Environmental groups advocate longer-term solutions. Olivier Malnatty is Sea Shepherd's secretary in New Caledonia: "Our inability to understand this phenomenon is due to the lack of scientific support. It will be very difficult to maintain security on the beaches of Noumea as long as we do not understand the phenomena that attract them to try to limit them as much as possible."

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Some New Caledonian researchers recommend the euthanasia of certain sharks identified as aggressive using tags that track the animal's activity.