In Australia, Queensland and New South Wales have failed to catch up with the other states and territories. They have failed to remove shark nets. While in other parts of Australia aerial and beach monitoring are used, as well as safe beach swimming habits, QLD and NSW are still using the most archaic and unethical form of shark control possible.
24 hours a day these nets are up, thereby killing any marine animal that comes across it. So this does not limit the killing of innocents to just sharks, but turtles, dugongs, dolphins, whales, rays and fish.
This is a completely ridiculous system, these state governments must stop being lazy and adopt more humane shark control. In QLD, between 1985 - 2008, 28,830 sharks were caught and subsequently died in nets. And if live sharks are found caught in the nets they are euthanised to further protect swimmers....
This practice is beyond abominable, along with killing these innocent and mostly harmless sharks, the QLD government has allowed 2,140 turtles, 552 dugongs, and 216 dolphins to become caught in these nets. Only 7-10% are released back into the ocean alive. Are these animals a risk to swimmers?
And it's happening in every beach along the NSW and QLD coast line: a dugong became caught and then died in a net off Coogee beach. Sea grass eating dugongs are completely harmless, but when caught they can't reach the surface to breathe and so they drown.
Since September 09, 6 Humpback whales have been caught in Gold Coast nets, the juvenile whales are especially vulnerable to nets while on their migratory pattern. In October, a dolphin was caught and died in the nets at Freshwater beach in Sydney. It was found floating dead and entangled in the netting.
Why is marine life suffering due to human fears? There is an inexplicable superiority complex that humans have over all other living species, but to the detriment of the planet's eco system. While you swim at the beach this summer, look at towards the shark nets and consider what animals are caught and slowly drowning, as you dive in the waves.
Visit http://www.removesharknets.com/ and Sign the petition to get rid of these nets.
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