at the government's plans. "Given that ed for science tells us that drum lines are an Aus unnecessary and lethal option for shark ted to management, the government's response can only be described as revenge killing d 1km campaign director Michael Kennedy said shark in a statement. their Western Australian Premier Colin Bar nett said his state, which has now suffered juries 14 shark attack fatalities since 2000, was in f by a shock at the latest deaths week. "I don't think there's any doubt that the part- number of shark attacks and fatalities from gear" shark attack has increased quite signifi great cantly over recent years," he told reporters eat to in Perth. Mr Barnett said a number of meas- ures were deployed, including the aerial if patrols, to alert swimmers to sharks. But e the catching and killing of the predators t was has long proved controversial. A previous trial involving baited hooks attached to floating drum lines to snare ther sharks was abandoned after objections from fire- conservationists and marine scientists. ance Mr Barnett said, however, the govern ment would always err on the side of public iety safety and reserved the right to destroy a ern" shark if it posed an imminent threat, AFP