The Queensland government says it won't introduce new shark control measures in the Whitsundays because the federal reef management body won't allow it.
The government organised a roundtable discussion at Airlie Beach on Friday, in the wake of the death of Victorian doctor Daniel Christidis, 33, who was fatally mauled by a shark at Cid Harbour on Monday, on his first day of a yachting holiday with friends and colleagues.
It was the third serious attack there in the past two months after Tasmanian woman Justine Barwick and Victorian 12-year-old Hannah Papps were bitten in separate incidents in September.
Tourism Minister Kate Jones and Fisheries Minister Mark Furner met with local tourism operators and marine experts, as well as the Whitsundays council.
Following the meeting, the government announced a five-point-plan to deal with the issue.
It includes $250,000 for research into the increase in shark activity in the area, as well as an ongoing "sharkwise" program, similar to the "crocwise" program already in place across much of northern Queensland.
The government had already ruled out introducing drum lines to the area ahead of the meeting, and Ms Jones said they had been told the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority refused to sign off on them.
"GBRMPA was in the room, they told the whole room, including the operators that were advocating for it, that they would not approve the use of shark nets and drum lines in the long term," Ms Jones told reporters after the meeting.
Mr Furner said drumlines had been used in the wake of the first two attacks, and had caught six sharks, however they had only been intended as a temporary measure and wouldn't be introduced permanently.
Opposition environment spokesman David Criusafulli said the Whitsunday region deserved to have the same shark control measures that were used in other parts of the state.
He accused the government of trying to "walk both sides of the street" in their response to the maulings.
"They can tell one group of people "we're not putting any new drum lines in" while they tell another group "we believe in safety"" Mr Crisafulli said.
"But you can't cherry-pick science, and use science as the justification not to give one region, and one region only the protection they deserve."
Bond University shark expert Dr Daryl McPhee, who attended the roundtable, said there was "no easy fix" to preventing unprovoked shark bites.
"Per capita around Australia the numbers of unprovoked shark bites are increasing," Dr McPhee said.
"Cid Harbour certainly wasn't on my radar as a location likely to see a series of shark bites."
A series of 70 buoys with signs on them have already been put into the water around Cid harbour, warning people not to swim there under any circumstances.
Australian Associated Press
