EXCLUSIVE Gareth Parker State Political Editor The West Australian January 29, 2014, 12:14 pm

The contract fisherman setting drum lines off three South West beaches for the Barnett Government is being paid $5705 a day.

The cost of the contract with the fisherman who The West Australian has decided not to name after threats from protestors is $610,500 according to information posted on the Governments tender website this morning.

His contract runs for 107 days from January 14 to April 30, meaning he is paid $5705 a day.

His contract is with the Department of Premier and Cabinet to provide shark drum line deployment, management and associated services.

The winning contractor was one of 18 tenderers to apply for the job.

The contract price adds further weight to suggestions the Governments indicative $1 million-a-year figure for the drum line policy was much lower than the actual cost.

The policy calls for drum lines to be set on five metropolitan beaches a job that will now be done by the Department of Fisheries as well as the three beaches monitored by the private contractor.

Revelation of the cost comes after Premier Colin Barnett told ABC radio this morning he wasnt sure of the exact price of the contract, which he nonetheless described as lucrative.

Opposition Leader Mark McGowan said: Whether you support the drum line policy or not and I dont this is clearly a shambles and an expensive shambles at that.

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Shark drum line contract cost revealed