Claims that shark deterrents qualifying for government rebates have not been adequately tested are "grossly inaccurate", according to Western Australia's Fisheries Minister Dave Kelly.
Mr Kelly's comments followed a letter to The West Australian on Tuesday from Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds disparaging the research behind the government's shark deterrent rebate.
He said in 2016, University of WA research paid for by the then-coalition government found the Shark Shield Freedom 7 worked in 90 per cent of occasions against a white shark.
The world-first personal shark deterrent subsidy is aimed at protecting surfers and divers, who have represented 13 of the 15 fatal shark bite victims in WA since 2000.
Mr Kelly also refuted Ms Reynolds' claims there had been no attacks at a New South Wales beach trialling drumlines, that WA had twice as many sharks compared to the east coast and that the east coast had been successful at protecting beach users.
"Senator Reynolds needs to put an end to her reckless fearmongering campaign," he said.
"It's particularly hypocritical of Ms Reynolds to attack this program, when she was on a bipartisan Federal Senate committee which endorsed it and called for it to be rolled out Australia-wide.
"Discouraging people from taking up protection that is backed by science is not only ludicrous, but incredibly dangerous."
Ms Reynolds' office has been contacted for comment.
Emma is a Fairfax Media journalist, arts blogger and recovering bibliomaniac.
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