Shark Culling in Western Australia and Subsequent Public Relations Implications - Literature review Example

PUBLIC RELATIONS By Name Course Instructor Institution City/State Date Shark Culling in Western Australia and subsequent Public Relations Implications Introduction The sadistic introduction of shark cull by Western Australia has undoubtedly seized the world and Australian attention in the recent months. However, whereas culling is not in use somewhere else in Australia at this time, ABC (2014) posits that Western Australia is not the just state involved in the killing of confined maritime predators. In Queensland as well as New South Wales an enormous number of sharks in addition to other marine creatures are being annihilated each year by means of other security measures. According to Innis (2014), utilisation of 72 drum lines to attract and catch enormous sharks in waters of Western Australian was executed in the early days of 2014. The Colin Barnett the Premier of Western Australia as well as Troy Buswell the then Fisheries Minister, designed the policy in reaction to lethal attacks off Western Australia, which had led to seven deaths for a duration between 2010 and 2013. Ray (2014) posits that the policy approves and sponsors the use of drum lines close to well-liked beaches: razzed mid-water hooks developed to seize and exterminate bigger tiger sharks, bull sharks, as well as white sharks. Every shark found Seize but still breathing and whose length measurement is more than 3 metres must be killed and their lifeless bodies casted away to the sea. ABC (2014) posits that the theory behind the strategy is to decrease the shark attacks risk at admired coastal places, and it intends to accomplish this by decreasing the number of future dangerous sharks by drawing them to razzed hooks, in place of human activity. In this regard, the essay seeks to provide an insight about shark culling in Western Australia аnd subsequent public relations implications. The Body The WA policy has been picked apart by animal activists, marine scientists, as well as their enthusiasts, which includes those of Humane Society International (HSI), the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS), Animals Australia, Surfrider Foundation Australia, and Greenpeace Australia Pacific (GPAP). Policy challengers deem that culling and baiting sharks (especially the enormous white shark, which according to Innis (2014) is a species protected by federal) to be atrocious, pointless and ecologically immature. Worries take account of the bycatch of other species in the marine as well as drowning of smaller sharks seized on the hooks, the effects on worldwide dilapidated shark populations, the possible of drum lines in attracting sharks into admired regions as well as the great white sharks targeting, which according to Innis (2014) are listed as Threatened Species by IUCN Red List. Icons and celebs voicing their antagonism to the WA policy consist of Ricky Gervais a British comedian, Kelly Slater (Australian surfer), actor Stephen Fry, Rodney Fox an author as well as shark attack survivor, Oceans Lewis Pugh an UNEP Patron, and Greg Norman a golfer also known as The Shark. Ray (2014) thinks that the WA policy is possibly to have an unfavourable consequence on WA tourism. On Cottesloe Beach, Australians in masses protested twice, before and subsequent to the implementation of policy: they first protested on 4th January this year and subsequently on 1st February after the implementation of the policy. According to Ray (2014), thousands assembled at occasions across Australia, with biggest attendances recorded at Manly and Cottesloe Beach. Less significant protests took place at across other states of Australia, in New Zealand as well as South Africa. In response, Colin Barnett, Western Australia Premier termed resistance to culling of sharks as absurd and excessive, and also affirmed that the policy was n case his party is chosen in the coming state election. Antagonists are as well drawing interest to the haphazard lines’ nature, which according to Ray (2014) may draw dolphins or turtles. Having dead animals hanging on the hook, it attracts more animals to the area, which entails sharks. Conceivably most surprising is that WA was lately praised by global press for a ground-breaking program where transmitters on sharks transmit tweets automatically to subscribers a time immediately the tagged sharks swim so near to beach. A community-based service group known as Surf Life Saving WA (SLSWA), had transmitters lodged in over 320 sharks, and the project was acclaimed as a helpful and humanitarian method of avoiding attacks from sharks. Practitioners in public relations can help WA in recognizing such external factors as well as conveying such changes to residents of WA as well as Australia in general. Bowen (2004, 66) argues that the practitioners’ role in public relations is to efficiently reduce this outside control as well as influence. He further notes that the environment can put forth and place the diverse associations into an agreement state, which can permit a State or organisation to pursue its objectives with less intervention or impediment. For this reason, Grunig and Hunt (1984) acknowledged the significance of developing firm relationships through their four models of public relations, which have extensively been acknowledged as the foundation for future public relations theory. The first theory present by Grunig and Hunt is agentry/publicity, which is one of the widely utilised public relations techniques, and can be depicted as a one-way communication, which according to Dyer et al. (2002, 14) does not reflect on certainty as a requirement. Furthermore, Grunig and Hunt recognized an additional one-way communication, which is commonly recognized as the public information model. O'Dougherty (2006, 135) views its task as information broadcaster, and even though truth/certainty is a crucial aspect there is small need for research. Evidently, neither of these two paradigms seeks to strengthen relationships with populaces, and that is why they are defined as one-way communications. Additional models defined as two-way communication flow was identified, wherein two-way asymmetric model posses a milieu in methodical influence and engages a considerable level of research. Gruning and Hunt (1984) posit that this research is subsequently utilised to improve future communications as well intends to ‘create harmony between the State and its citizens by bringing them close to the State’s position. The last communication model recognised by Grunig and Hunt is the excellent public relations, which is also a two-way symmetrical model. The goal of this model according to Bowen (2004, 72) is to obtain a mutual understanding between two conflicting sides (WA government and Policy antagonists) through meaningful dialogue process. The paradigm presents a public relations model that is rooted in research as well as that employs communication to handle disagreement and attain mutual understanding with premeditated populace. It is also a two-way symmetrical public relations model, which offers the most clean-cut connection to the web logs we see these days. Even though, a number of critics maintain that two-way symmetric communication is an impractical paradigm since the vested concerns state the PR practice nature and hardly ever support a truthfully even-handed communications process. However, two-way symmetric communication is the best PR model that can be used by WA government, culling of shark proponents and antagonists, as well as the world at large to reach a mutual agreement that can solve the already looming crisis. Culling of Sharks according to Innis (2014) is unacceptable since sharks such as White sharks are protected species, and so WA policy is undoubtedly going against the desires of most Australians (bearing in mind a latest survey exhibited that 90 percent of Australians are in opposition to the cull). Furthermore, the WA policy is not in favor of the EPBC Act, and also is against shark scientists’ recommendations, against IUCN as well as Western Australia Fisheries Report, and finally against the desires of shark incidents’ victims and their families. Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS) has raised red flag with regard to the culling of sharks, by positing that killing endangered species like white sharks is creating mayhem in a complicated situation. Startlingly, WA government support fishermen who were caught with a dead shark, by claiming that it was certainly a Zambezi shark that was seized and killed, in spite of conflicting reports from several shark experts who had examined in depth photographs of the lifeless shark. Across the globe sharks are in immense danger with more than 90 percent of the sharks in world killed off through malicious trade of shark and fishing, which according to ABC (2014) is liable for the death of almost 80 million sharks yearly. ABC (2014) further claim that areas where sharks have been killed like in WA, the impact will be felt later in the future, especially in the tourism sector, other effects include dead zones and fisheries collapse. Reputation can be one of WA vital assets, but undoubtedly is a delicate asset: one that has taken WA years to build, but if they do not solve the issue, the reputation can be destroyed in seconds. Presently, we are living in an epoch where individuals do not waver to pronounce what they have in mind with regard to the service provided by their state government (particularly if the service is deprived) on online platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, and in tourism wherein scores of State revenue is diversified. The actuality of our contemporary society is that State governments cannot satisfy all and sundry, and they may receive a lot of criticism, especially if the government is introducing policies that is unfavorable to both the locals and other Australians in large. Time and again the best method to handle an off-putting review, it is to post tranquil and comparatively unbiased "management response" through the department that WA state offers. Obviously, most antagonist go on social media to criticize a certain move by a government or organisation, so that they get an negative review, which according to Dyer et al. (2002, 16) will portray the government negatively. Furthermore, the obscurity of the internet has allowed people to air their opinions hastily with no trouble and devoid of any certain regard if such opinions are justifiable or not. The separating line is not at all times comprehensible, but the simplest means to enlighten that line is to portray the difference among a view that conveys dissatisfaction (in this case WA citizens and the world in large) as well as a view that makes individual accusations concerning the government, the veracity or openness of the government. Conclusion In conclusion, it has been argued that governments (in this case Western Australia government) are not secluded from the world surrounding them, instead they are influenced by outside factors like technology advancement, legislation changes, as well as other social, economic, and political issues. Furthermore, two-way symmetric communication provides the best PR paradigm that can be utilised by WA government to reach a mutual agreement, which can solve the already looming crisis. Furthermore, WA should not negatively respond to the critics’ views, especially in the social media, rather they should respond positively by trying to negotiate and reach a mutual agreement. As much i would love to say human life is important than marine animals, I concur with opponents of WA policy, because killing endangered species like white sharks is like creating a crisis in an already existing crisis. Bibliography ABC. March 12, 2014. WA shark cull: EPA rules out assessment despite 23,000 public submissions. Accessed April 5, 2014. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-03-12/epa-rules-out-shark-cull-assessment/5315032 . Bowen, Shannon A. 2004. "Expansion of Ethics as the Tenth Generic Principle of Public Relations Excellence: A Kantian Theory and Model for Managing Ethical Issues." Journal of Public Relations Research 16(1): 65-92. Dyer, Sam, Teri Buell, Mashere Harrison, and Sarah Weber. 2002. "Managing public relations in nonprofit organizations." Public Relations Quarterly 47(4): 13-17. Gruning, James E., and Todd T. Hunt. 1984. Managing Public Relations CL. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Innis, Michelle. February 24, 2014. Australian Catch-and-Kill Shark Policy, Meant to Reassure, Horrifies Some. Accessed April 5, 2014. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/04/world/asia/australian-states-shark-cull-policy-draws-protest.html?_r=0 . O'Dougherty, Maureen. 2006. "Public relations, private security: managing youth and race at the Mall of America." Environment and planning D 24(1): 131-154. Ray, Nicholas. ebruary 23, 2014. Western Australia's shark cull will hit breeding stock of great white. Accessed April 5, 2014. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/feb/23/western-australia-shark-cull-great-whites . Read More