Shark expert says Tony Abbott 'doesn't understand the science' after former PM calls for cull

Abbott's cull call draws scientific pushback

Tony Abbott's call for a shark cull after the Coogee Beach attack has been publicly rejected by marine scientists and NSW officials, who say there is no evidence lethal control would make swimmers safer.

Emeritus Prof Rob Harcourt of Macquarie University said Abbott "doesn't understand the science" in calling for a cull. Harcourt argued that a cull would not reduce risk unless white sharks were completely removed from the ocean, which he said was not feasible.

Prof Culum Brown of Macquarie University also criticised culling as a naive response and argued that people need to learn to coexist with nature rather than rely on killing sharks.

The Coogee attack

The political dispute comes after the June 13 attack at Coogee Beach in Sydney, where a woman was mauled by a great white shark. Reporting identified the victim as Leah Stewart, a 35-year-old teacher and mother.

AP reported that Stewart was in critical condition after the attack. Later reporting said she underwent multiple surgeries and suffered life-changing injuries, including the loss of an arm.

The attack has intensified debate over how NSW should balance beach safety with protection for sharks and other marine life.

NSW response

NSW Premier Chris Minns said he was not convinced a cull would work and said the government had no expert evidence that it would keep great white sharks away from beaches.

Minns said great white sharks are a protected species and pointed instead to a rethink of existing shark protection measures, including shark nets and newer technology such as drones.

Reporting said drone surveillance was temporarily reinstated over Coogee Beach after the attack.

What happens next

The immediate policy question is whether NSW expands surveillance and other non-lethal measures, or whether pressure grows for tougher action after the attack.

Open questions include whether the government will announce any concrete changes to shark management, whether medical updates change Stewart's condition materially, and whether scientists or conservation groups respond further to Abbott's comments.

For now, the public dispute is centered on whether culling is supported by evidence. The scientists quoted in reporting say it is not, while state officials are looking instead at monitoring and other mitigation tools.