Dead shark prompts call on nets
ENVIRONMENTALISTS are calling for the removal of shark nets after the death of an entangled Great Hammerhead off Tallebudgera but the Queensland government insists they’ll stay.
Activist group Sea Shepherd said the shark’s body was located on Monday by the crew of the Apex Harmony boat.
Spokesman Jonathan Clark said the shark was an endangered species and its death highlighted the need for Queensland to abandon nets.
“These nets do nothing more than indiscriminately kill marine life while providing a false sense of security to ocean users,” he said.
“It is time the Queensland government makes good on their election promise to provide effective non-lethal shark monitoring, control and incident prevention measures to protect ocean users and marine life.”
Acting Fisheries Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said the government remained “steadfast” in its support for the Shark Control Program, which includes the nets.
“It has undoubtedly saved lives and that’s why it will continue,” he said in a statement. “While we continue to monitor emerging technology, the safety of swimmers is paramount.”
Queensland has 85 beaches protected by nets or drumlines in a program that has been in place since 1962.