An endangered Great Hammerhead shark has been found dead in a Gold Coast shark net a day after two rays were left to die in a net at Ballina.
A Sea Shepherd crew who are part of the Apex Harmony operation were patrolling the nets and drum lines on the Gold Coast when they discovered the shark.
The dead shark was found in a net off Tallebudgera Beach.
Sea Shepherd Australia spokesperson Jonathan Clark said Great Hammerhead sharks are classified as endangered under the IUCN Red List, with populations under pressure from government shark control programs, and commercial fishing.
‘Once again, we see another endangered species which has never posed a threat to ocean users die unnecessarily,’ Mr Clark said.
‘These nets do nothing more than indiscriminately kill marine life while providing a false sense of security to ocean users.’
‘It is time the Queensland Government makes good on their election promise to provide effective non-lethal shark monitoring, control and incident prevention measures to protect ocean users and marine life.’
The grisly discovery came a day after Sea Shepherd accused the NSW Government of deliberately abandoning rays trapped in Ballina shark nets.
The organisation said that despite being told of two rays trapped in nets off Ballina beaches on Sunday (January 7), DPI Fisheries would neither authorise Sea Shepherd divers to disentangle them or send a contractor to their rescue.
When the group’s volunteers inspected the shark nets off Ballina on Monday they found an eagle ray entangled and struggling in the Sharpes Beach net and also a manta ray, dead on the sea floor adjacent to the net.
Another eagle ray was found fighting for life in the net off Lighthouse Beach.
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