Whale and calf freed after entanglement in shark nets off Queensland

Fisheries crews have freed a mom whale and her calf after the pair grew to become entangled in a shark internet off the Sunshine Coast.

This morning’s rescue marks the most recent in a string of whale entanglements in Queensland’s nets throughout the present migration season.

Onlookers reported the whale and calf had been caught within the netting off Wurtulla since 5am right now, in keeping with animal rights group Sea Shepherd Australia.

Humpback whales migrate south towards Antarctica round this time of yr.

There have been requires the elimination of shark nets up and down the east coast of Australia as they have been put again within the water forward of swimming season.

Queensland’s Minister for Agricultural Trade Improvement and Fisheries Mark Furner mentioned earlier the nets wouldn’t be eliminated till it was deemed secure to take action.

“We are going to make no adjustments except we’re satisfied they are often secure and acceptable in Queensland circumstances,” Furner mentioned.

Information was revealed just lately in regards to the variety of endangered and non-target marine life caught and killed in shark nets.

A report on the 2021-2022 season discovered 325 of the 376 animals caught in NSW have been non-targeted, critically endangered species, together with turtles, dolphins and whales.

The mayor of Australia’s most well-known seashore has referred to as for shark nets to be faraway from Bondi as they create “a false sense of security”.

“(They) are solely 150m lengthy, six metres excessive and set at a depth of about 10m. They don’t seem to be there to truly create a barrier between swimmers and sharks, however they kind of assist disrupt among the swimming patterns,” Waverley mayor Paula Masselo mentioned.

“Australia has a world accountability to guard susceptible, endangered and critically endangered species,” Sea Shepherd Australia’s Managing Director Jeff Hansen mentioned.