Sea World calls on Government to trial removal of shark nets during winter after rejection from city tourism body

SEA World has called on the Government to trial the removal of shark nets during winter after another whale became tangled off the Gold Coast yesterday.

SEA World has called on the Government to trial the removal of shark nets during winter after another whale became tangled off the Gold Coast yesterday.

However, the idea has already been rejected by the city’s peak tourism body, which claims the nets are vital to protect the safety and image of the city’s beaches.

The juvenile humpback is the second whale to become snagged in the nets this week.

Boaties monitor a whale trapped in the nets of Kirra Groyne. Picture Glenn Hampson

A calf drowned on Tuesday when it was caught at Bilinga.

Yesterday’s whale was freed by Sea World in under an hour from the net at Kirra, with Sea World director of marine sciences Trevor Long saying it was expected to survive.

“It is going to be a little bit sore for some time (but) I feel confident, 100 per cent, that the animal will survive,” he said.

“The net was fairly torn apart and I think it has almost got itself out, so it has done a fair bit of damage to itself during the night but there is no reason now that it would not be OK.”

Mr Long said Queensland should follow the lead of NSW and remove nets during winter, replacing them with drumlins.

“Obviously the beaches are safe with the drumlins, otherwise we wouldn’t have them and Perth wouldn’t have put them in over there,” he said.

The whale trapped in the nets of Kirra Groyne. Picture Glenn Hampson

But Gold Coast Tourism boss Martin Winter said there was too much at stake to change the system now.

“The current regime, which appears to be protecting our visitors to the Gold Coast, and makes the place more attractive, should be allowed to continue,” he said.

A statement from Fisheries Queensland said there were no plans to remove any shark equipment.

“Human safety must come first and that’s why the Government is committed to the shark control program,” she said.

“Approximately 20,000 whales are currently making their journey north as part of the migration season.

“With only three whales caught in shark control equipment this migration season, we are successfully minimising these incidences through technologies such as pingers and quick-release measures.”