Mayor a shark net convert
THE mayor of Ballina says shark nets have had a positive impact on the town’s tourism industry – just as they’re being hauled out of the water.
David Wright was a vocal critic of nets before they were deployed at five beaches near Ballina late last year for a sixmonth trial following a spate of shark attacks in the area.
Mr Wright says they improved the sentiment of swimmers and surfers over the Christmas period.
“I have personally never supported the nets but I support them because of what they have done to tourism and giving people a sense of security and they’ve worked like that,” Mr Wright said.
He said drumlines, which will be kept in the water unlike the nets, also contributed to the change of community attitude towards using the ocean.
The nets were hauled up on Monday after several humpback whales were spotted south of Ballina.
The nets killed three dolphins, five turtles and six manta rays over a five-month period. A bull shark was killed, while one of two white sharks caught also died.
“As for trying to kill sharks, they’re not good, they kill a lot of by-catch. However having them there with the signs at each beach, people looked at that and haven’t talked about sharks since last Christmas,” Mr Wright said.
The decision to remove the shark nets two weeks early was celebrated by the NSW Greens.