Tell Australia to Leave Shark Nets Behind
9,922 signatures toward our 30,000 Goal
Sponsor: The Rainforest Site
Shark nets aren't very effective, and they harm marine life. Tell Australia to use other safer methods!
Shark nets are intended to keep humans safe. However, they often fall short in protecting humans from shark encounters, and they pose a great threat to marine life1.
"The reality... is that they don't actually cover the entire beach; the sharks can swim around and underneath them," Vanessa Pirotta, a wildlife scientist and researcher at Macquarie University, told The Guardian2. "They are outdated technology, and unfortunately there are a number of consequences to marine life."
Many different types of whales live and swim in the waters around Australia3.
Humpback whales have been especially traumatized and devastated by shark net entanglements4.
But southern right whales could suffer the greatest consequences.
Only around 3,500 southern right whales are left alive in the ocean. This means that even small losses can have a tremendous impact on the resiliency of the species5.
In just one week during early July in Queensland, Australia, three whales got tangled up in shark nets off the coast6.
By contrast, technologies like acoustic pingers, drones, and catch alert drumlines are much safer for both humans and marine wildlife7.
Other states in Australia, including New South Wales and Western Australia, commonly employ these devices with good results. There is no longer any reason for Australian authorities to keep cruel, indiscriminate shark nets around8.
Sign the petition to demand the Australian government regulate the use of shark nets, and require local areas to implement other, safer shark deterrent systems!
- Blake Chapman, Australian Geographic (26 June 2019), "Shark nets: Protecting us or just harming sharks?"
- Khaled Al Khawaldeh, The Guardian (7 July 2022), "Calls grow to remove Queensland's 'outdated' shark nets after another whale gets entangled."
- Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Australian Government (15 October 2021), "Species found in Australian waters."
- Louise Franco, Nature World News (6 July 2022), "Two Humpback Whales Caught in Shark Nets Off the Queensland Coast During a Whale Migration."
- Michelle Collins, WDC (28 October 2020), "How many right whales are left?"
- Michael Dahlstrom, Yahoo News (7 July 2022), "Another whale trapped in same Queensland shark net: 'Traumatising'."
- NSW Government, NSW Department of Primary Industries, "Technology, Trials and Research."
- Debra Stokes, Andrew Colefax, Betty Weiler and Kirin Apps, The Conversation (22 July 2020), "Lifeguards with drones keep humans and sharks safe."
The Petition:
To the Australian Government and the director of the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water,
The shark nets your country employs to keep humans safe often fall short in protecting humans from shark encounters, and they pose a great threat to marine life.
Many different types of whales live and swim in the waters around Australia, and all of them are threatened by the indiscriminate danger of shark nets.
Vulnerable species like the humpback whale and southern right whale are being killed by the nets. With only around 3,500 southern right whales left alive in the ocean, each death carries a tremendous impact on the future of the species.
In New South Wales and Western Australia, technologies like acoustic pingers, drones, and catch alert drumlines have proven both effective and safer to humans and marine life.
There is no longer any reason to keep cruel, indiscriminate shark nets around. I implore you to ban these destructive nets, opting for alternative methods that keep humans and marine life safe!
Sincerely,
