Another Attempt to Stop the Illegal Cull...Legally

"Protected Species"? - photo Skyler Thomas

The Australian Greens will move to tap into anti-shark cull sentiment among WA voters, with plans to rush legislation to quash Colin Barnett's drum line policy into Federal Parliament less than a fortnight before the Senate election.

An opinion poll commissioned by the Greens suggests that almost three in five voters want the Federal Government to use its powers to overrule the Premier.

The Greens' Bill would force Labor to take a stance on the cull but even if the Opposition supports it to pass the Senate, the Government would comfortably have the numbers to block it in the House of Representatives.

Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt has given the WA Government an exemption from the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act to set baited drum lines to catch sharks until April 30, agreeing it was in the national interest.

However, most of the sharks caught have been tiger sharks, rather than the great white shark species blamed for attacks on people off WA.

The Greens will push for a vote on its private members' Save our Sharks Bill this week.  This is the final sitting week before the WA Senate vote and Parliament does not resume until May, after this year's cull is meant to finish.

Greens leader Christine Milne, in WA for the party's campaign launch on Saturday, told _The West Australian _Mr Barnett had underestimated the level of public opposition to the shark cull.

The poll commissioned by the Greens found 57 per cent of WA voters thought the Abbott Government should use its powers to halt the cull, with 38 per cent strongly agreeing.

Greens leader Christine Milne says there is overwhelming opposition to the cull, introduced by the WA government with support from the federal government following a spate of attacks.

"We will stand up for the great white shark and the marine ecosystem against Tony Abbott and Colin Barnett," she told reporters.

"There is huge support to say end this cull and never do it again."

Greens marine and WA spokeswoman Rachel Siewert said the federal government facilitated the WA government going ahead with the shark cull through an exemption granted under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.

Senator Siewert said the private member's bill would retrospectively bar federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt from granting an exemption.

"The federal government should never have used that provision," she said.