NSW shark nets removal to allow whales to migrate, may cause fresh attacks

Latest reports from Australia suggest that shark nets have been removed from NSW beaches to protect migrating whales. NSW Primary Industries Minister Niall Blair has said that nets at Evans Head Beach, Lennox Head’s Seven Mile Beach, Shelly Beach, Sharpes Beach and Ballina’s Lighthouse Beach will be removed two weeks prior to the end of the six-month trial.

As per the president of the Byron Bay board-riders club, the NSW government is not protecting surfers in the north coast. Surfers in regions where shark nets have been removed reportedly experienced a string of attacks.

The move, though, is to protect migrating whales. There has been a rise in whale sightings along NSW coastline as they are heading north for winter. As per Byron Bay surfer Neil Cameron, the government’s policy of catching the sharks on drum line, tagging them then releasing them has been ineffective.

Cameron believes that a tag will not stop a great white shark from killing. There has been a massive green opposition.

“We are probably one of the greenest areas in the world. People will tolerate humans being attacked. It’s a really tough one. Being surfers, you don’t want to see any turtles or stingrays being victims of by-catch. But at the same time you don’t want to see people’s lives being ruined or ended,” Cameron told The Australian.

Ample mullet have been spotted between sand banks. Cameron said it was the food chain. After this, there would be the whales, followed by the Great White Sharks. Cameron was sure there will be more shark attacks, not this season, but definitely in the next. Beachgoers have been told there will be helicopters operating every weekend on the North Coast. Daily flights will also resume during the July school holidays.

Blair believes that six months worth of data is enough for shark scientists to analyse the situation. He said that research from the trial will be “world-class” to provide amazing insights to researchers. While locals are concerned about a Great White spotting off Boulder Beach close to two surfers, many argue that the nets are killing too many innocent animals. Only one of 72 animals caught in the Ballina nets was a Great White Shark, NSW government’s targeted species in the recent trial period. The government will decide on the future of these nets later this year.