DRONE PATROLS OR COMPLETE NETTERS
DRONES are “the best option” to marshal Gold Coast beaches for sharks, say wildlife activists after new photos reveal the reality of sealife caught in nets.
Photos obtained by advocacy group Sea Shepherd via a Freedom of Information request show rays, dolphins, turtles and sharks trapped.
Sea Shepherd spokesman Jonathan Clark said while the dates and locations had been wiped by the state government, all were taken in 2019 and a “good number” were on the Gold Coast.
“These walls of death are not proven to do anything for swimmer safety yet they have a devastating toll on marine life as shown in these devastating images,” he said.
“The number one solution is drones. On the Gold Coast they would be the most effective.
“That has got to go hand in hand with proper education of everyone using the water.”
Sea Shepherd also supplied a number of photos it had taken of hammerheads, rays and smaller sharks being rescued from Gold Coast nets.
Mr Clark claimed shark nets actually run the risk of attracting more sharks closer to beaches when other animals become trapped.
“A lot of people don’t understand the nets are not a barrier,” he said.
“They’re 186m long, six metres deep in 12 metres of water and 50 metres from the shore. Sharks can easily swim under them.
“(Whale watching season) is going to start any day now and a lot of the whales heading north are pregnant mothers. When a whale is trapped in the shark nets, especially when they’re killed, they become an attractant for sharks.
“There are a range of technologies that would actually provide a blanket of safety.”
Seventeen animals – 12 sharks, one mammal and four “other” – have been caught in nets on the Gold Coast this year, bringing the total since 2001 to 2223.
City leaders have long argued shark nets are vital to the Gold Coast’s tourism industry.
Mayor Tom Tate and Destination Gold Coast boss Paul Donovan have both previously said tourists would no longer visit city beaches if the nets were removed. The death of 46-yearold surfer Nick Slater at Coolangatta was the first shark fatality on a Coast beach in more than 60 years.
A Fisheries spokesperson said: “The government is committed to continuous improvement but will not make changes until effective alternatives suitable for Queensland conditions are identified.”
“A SharkSmart drone trial, in partnership with Surf Life Saving Queensland, began in September 2020 at five southeast Queensland beaches including Main Beach and Burleigh Beach and will continue until October 4, 2021.
“A final evaluation report with detailed analysis will be completed at the end of the SharkSmart drone trial.”
A Smart drumlines trial is also expected to start in mid-2021.
Four councils in New South Wales, including in Sydney’s Northern Beaches, have voted for the nets to be removed after other “disturbing” photos were released.