A young humpback whale has been found dead entangled in a shark net at Coledale Beach, north of Wollongong, sparking calls for an urgent review of the NSW government's Shark Meshing Program.
The 8-metre whale was spotted off Wombarra Beach, adjacent to Coledale Beach, by members of the public around 8:30am on Tuesday. Responders from ORRCA, Marine Rescue Port Kembla, and the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service found the juvenile whale dead with netting wrapped around it.
A spokesperson for the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development confirmed the whale was entangled in the Coledale Beach shark net, installed under the Shark Meshing Bather Protection Program. Coledale is one of five beaches on the Illawarra coast and 51 statewide with such nets.
ORRCA president Ashley Ryan said the whale was migrating south to Antarctica. "It's all speculation at this point, but it does look like the whale has died after becoming caught in the shark net," she said. "Without performing a necropsy, we won't be able to say for sure."
Wollongong councillor Jess Whittaker called the death "tragic" and urged an immediate review of the program. "If it's found that this whale has gotten caught in the shark net, struggled and died a slow, painful death by drowning, that's heartbreaking," she said. "We know that they don't work; it's a public safety hazard and a hazard to wildlife."
Efforts to retrieve the carcass were abandoned due to safety concerns. ORRCA warned the community to avoid the water due to an elevated risk of sharks. If conditions permit, NPWS and local council will remove the carcass for a necropsy.
