Remove shark nets to save whales: expert

A marine expert is calling for the removal of shark nets during whale migrations
after a baby humpback had to be freed from nets in Gold Coast waters.
The calf, which was migrating to southern waters with two other adult whales, is the
fourth humpback to be caught in the controversial shark nets in just weeks.
Although it took rescuers just under an hour to free the little whale, Sea World's
director of marine sciences Trevor Long says it's time for the nets to go.
The shark nets offer little protection to swimmers and kill other marine life, Mr
Long told AAP.
"They (the community) don't understand the amount of animals that are taken -
turtles, dugongs, dolphins, turtles, rays - every year," he said.
"There's an enormous loss of wildlife for this perception of protection.
"I've been trying to get the nets removed for ages."
Sharks could easily swim around the nets that are 600 metres long and five metres
deep and only protect 11 out of 27 Gold Coast beaches, he said.
He warns that whales will be caught more often as the 13,000-strong whale population
grows by 10 per cent each year.
"The reason we're seeing such an intense period is that there are so many animals
out there now," he said.
"If you extrapolate that problem to the years ahead, we've got a major problem on
our hands."
The whales become entangled because the female whales are seeking shelter close to
the shore to rest with their calves during the 2,500 nautical mile migration.
Queensland shark control program manager Tony Ham said the whale that was caught off
Mermaid Beach on Thursday was relatively calm throughout the incident and could
breathe easily.
"The team is well equipped with specialised knives and other tools designed
specifically to remove net from an entangled animal without harming it," he said.
Including Thursday's entanglement, 27 whales since 2000 have been caught in shark
control equipment in Queensland.
The shark net will be replaced later on Thursday.