SA:Diver would not want sharks killed: friend

AAP General News (Australia)
02-18-2011
SA:Diver would not want sharks killed: friend

PERTH, Feb 18 AAP - An experienced diver killed by two sharks off the South Australian
coast was a conservationist who would not want great whites hunted down and killed, a
friend says.

Peter Clarkson, 49, was attacked as he surfaced after diving for abalone at Perforated
Island near Coffin Bay in South Australia on Thursday.

The boat skipper who witnessed the attack, believed to be by great whites, was treated
for shock after failing to find Mr Clarkson and returning to shore.

Mr Clarkson had a house at Esperance in Western Australia's south and spent part of
his year diving for shells around the WA coast.

Esperance friend and fellow abalone diver Mark Payne told ABC Radio on Friday that
Mr Clarkson was "a very renowned shell diver, a very nice guy".

"There's quite a few people around here who are going to miss him."

Mr Payne said most abalone divers had had an encounter with great whites.

"Probably the last way that we want to go is to get attacked by one of these animals.

"Even though, I believe that Peter's a conservationist, I don't think he would like
to see us all going out there and killing all the great whites that we see."

Mr Payne said he did not know if Mr Clarkson was wearing a shark shield, a device that
creates a light electrical field that is meant to deter great whites from approaching.

"I believe they do give a false sense of security," Mr Payne said.

"None of us think we're heroes or superhuman beings or anything. We do what we love
doing, we love being in the ocean, that's why we're there," he said.

Emergency services and fishermen were searching rough seas on Friday for Mr Clarkson's
body and equipment.

AAP ldj/dep

KEYWORD: SHARK FRIEND

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