Dolphin Drowns, Dies After Getting Tangled in Beach Shark Net, Sparking Calls To Phase Out Nets [Watch]

A dolphin was found dead after getting tangled in a beach shark net in Australia. It was spotted by a local using his drone off New South Wales (NWS) Thirroul Beach.

Dolphin Drowns, Dies Due to Shark Net Entanglement

The dolphin was identified as an Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin that spans 7.2 feet in length. Its tragic death was discovered by local Peter Armstrong, who sent a drone out to look into the case and record what happened to the motionless figure.

Armstrong shares that he deployed and flew out his drone, and, to his horror, he spotted a dolphin stuck in the shark net.

The net is from the NSW Department of Primary Industries, which recovered the body of the animal to collect samples prior to disposing of the carcass at sea.

Several shark nets are being installed at NWS beaches during the summer, from September to April. Along the coastal stretch between Wollongong and Newcastle, there are 51 nets installed. These have been seen to successfully reduce attacks. In fact, there has only been one shark-related fatality recorded on a beach with nets ever since the protective measures were introduced back in 1937.

A Call To Phase Out Nets

However, since several non-shark sea creatures end up getting entangled in the nets, several animal rights groups say that these nets pose higher risks compared to their advantages.

Hannah Tait, the CEO of Action for Dolphins, shares that 89% of the marine creatures, equivalent to 204 of them, caught in shark nets during the last season were species that were non-targets, including dolphins, rays, turtles, and other sharks. Tait adds that 100% of all caught dolphins struggled and drowned while they waited for further net checks.

From 2022 to 2023, there were 228 creatures that were caught in nets off NSW beaches. However, only 24 of these were from targeted shark species, such as bull, tiger, and great white sharks. The others included other non-target sharks, including whaler, great hammerhead, and Australian angel sharks; turtles; rays; and 10 sea mammals, including seals and dolphins. More than 25% of the animals that were caught were threatened or protected species.

Tait explains that the needless death of the dolphin is a grave reminder of the harm that shark nets bring. Tai adds that it is time for officials to opt for a more sustainable future for both people and marine wildlife.

Other shark net alternatives have been suggested, such as SMART (Shark Management Alert in Real Time) drumlines. These are baited shark traps that notify scientists immediately once a shark has been captured.

Such devices can be found at more than 300 beaches across NSW. However, several still think that the technology is not good enough to fully replace shark nets.

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