‘Enough is enough’: new calls to lift nets

SEA World’s rescue team has freed another whale as fresh calls have been made to remove controversial shark nets.

The theme park’s communications manager Mitchell Olivey said the Sea World Rescue Team responded to reports of a whale was stuck in the nets at Currumbin.

A rescue team made its way out to investigate at about 8am.

Mr Olivey said the team freed an adult humpback from the nets by 8.55am.

It comes after three whales were caught in Gold Coast shark nets last month, triggering fresh calls to remove the controversial shark mitigation gear.

Sea Shepherd defence campaigner Johnathan Clark said whales getting caught in the shark nets was an “ongoing nightmare”.

“Enough is enough,” he said. “Eight whales caught on Queensland’s cruel shark culling equipment in less than three months is a nightmarish beginning to the whale migration season.”

Mr Clark said it was time for the “outdated” and “ineffective” nets to be replaced by modern alternatives.

“How many more whale’s lives have to be risked at the hands of the Queensland government?” he said.

Sea Shepherd Australia’s threatened and endangered species campaigner Lauren Sandeman said Queensland should mirror the New South Wales government, after shark nets were removed from the whale migratory path in 1980.

“Shark nets and drum lines do not improve beachgoer safety, so they need to be removed from our beaches permanently and replaced with one of the myriad alternatives that do,” she said.

Last week, veteran Mermaid Beach MP Ray Stevens said Labor wanted to appease the Greens by removing shark nets.

The Palaszczuk government strongly denied the claims, but did reveal the state has been exploring new measures to safeguard the public.

The government has previously and repeatedly highlighted the need to protect swimmers, surfers and other beachgoers, particularly in tourism hot spots.