Dolphin hooked on drum line at Kawana Beach, Sunshine Coast

Distressing footage shows a dolphin struggling to break free after being hooked on a drum line for more than an hour at a popular Sunshine Coast beach.

A dolphin was hooked on a drum line at a popular Sunshine Coast beach for more than an hour, prompting fresh calls for a new approach to shark control measures.

Envoy Foundation released distressing footage of the dolphin struggling to free itself from a drum line at Kawana Beach on Thursday afternoon.

The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries was notified of the entrapment at 2.15pm.

“The Shark Control Program received a report on the hotline of a dolphin caught on a drumline at Kawana,” a Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Spokesman confirmed.

Maroochydore woman Erin Kirkwood saw the trapped dolphin while she had her drone flying over the water.
“I flew over to the drumlines and then that’s when I noticed there was a dolphin on them,” Ms Kirkwood said.

“So I hovered around for a little bit, I honestly thought it was dead at first because it wasn’t really moving until the tail started thrashing around, I saw it breathe, and that is when I realised it was still alive.”

Ms Kirkwood called the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and kept a close watch on the dolphin with her drone, until staff arrived at the scene.

“I was watching the dolphin on my drone, I flew the drone back twice to change the battery, and on the last battery I took back out when I saw the fisheries attend to the dolphin,” Ms Kirkwood added.

Ms Kirkwood said she felt upset and distressed about the situation.

“It was heartbreaking, it’s one thing to see images of it online, but it’s another to be there, to know that there is a dolphin suffering and you can‘t do anything about it,” Ms Kirkwood recollected.

Dramatic footage shows a dolphin struggling to break free from a drum line at Kawana Beach. Picture: Erin Kirkwood

A Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Spokesman said the dolphin was successfully released.

“The program’s Sunshine Coast contractor responded immediately and proceeded to Kawana by boat,” the spokesman said.

“The contractor was onsite at 2.55pm and located a dolphin directly in front of the Kawana SLSQ.

“The dolphin was successfully released at 3.10pm and it swam away strongly.”

Envoy Foundation shark nets campaign manager Rose Marimon renewed calls for a new approach to shark control measures in Queensland.

“The drum lines in Queensland are on the water all the time, they don’t get checked very regularly unlike the smart drum lines in New South Wales,” Ms Marimon said.

“I think the key thing is with the response times.

“These lethal drum lines must be replaced with smart drum lines.

“New South Wales has been running smart drum lines for years … and it‘s time that Queensland caught up.”

Originally published as Dolphin hooked on drum line at Kawana Beach, Sunshine Coast