In 2018, a baby humpback whale was entangled in shark nets on the Gold Coast. In 2020, 4 more were caught in just one month during the whales' migration season. Starting in October, the whales will head back to the Antarctic with their calves for the summer to gorge on the plentiful krill. But with shark control nets still in the water, whales risk entanglement and even death.
Shark nets are indiscriminate, entangling thousands of vulnerable marine animals such as sea turtles, dolphins and rays. Unless the nets are removed, we'll see more whales entangled and more marine life in danger, especially as whales come back down the coast.
NSW has removed their nets for their whales' migration — the least the QLD Government can do is remove their nets for the whale season and ensure our whales safe passage.
Humpback whales were hunted along the eastern Australian coastline up until 1962. It has taken decades of conservation work to protect these magnificent creatures and give them space to rebuild their numbers again. We can't afford to lose any more whales and marine life, especially to a preventable cause like shark nets.
Join us in asking the Queensland government to remove shark nets from our oceans and invest in non-lethal solutions that improve safety for people and marine wildlife.
