Environmental groups are pleading with the Queensland government to change its shark net policy after another humpback whale became entangled.
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Rescue crews were alerted to the latest incident off Kirra Beach on the Gold Coast at around 6.30am before the mammal was released two and a half hours later.
It follows the successful rescue of two humpback whales caught on the same day in separate incidents off the Gold and Sunshine coasts on Tuesday.
Entanglements happen every migration season as humpbacks make their way north from Antarctica, but Sea Shepherd says the 2022 journey has got off to an especially bad start.
"This year's whale migration season has only just begun and already more whales have become entangled in these useless shark nets than in the entirety of 2021," campaigner Jonathan Clark says.
Five whales have been caught so far this year and there are calls to remove shark nets to stop such incidents, which are happening "like clockwork".
An estimated 40,000 whales make the annual trip, with six entanglements reported on average, Fisheries Queensland says.
Since 2013, there have been 57 entanglements, with 55 whales released alive.
"Every entanglement is extremely traumatising and can have long-term impacts on whales even if they are successfully released," Humane Society International marine biologist Lawrence Chlebeck said.
"Queensland must heed the advice of its own scientists and pull these nets out for the entire duration of the migration season."
A Shark Control Program Working Group supported trialling the replacement of some Qld nets with drumlines in 2020, and the NSW Government removes shark nets during cooler months.
Trials are underway for new technology including drones and catch-alert "smart" drumlines, and acoustic pingers are also used to alert whales and dolphins of nearby nets.
But Queensland Fisheries Minister Mark Furner has consistently said "human life would always come first" and no changes will be made unless he's convinced it's safe.
"We're not convinced that those techniques...will be suitable at this particular time in removing those nets and replacing them with drum lines or other mechanisms that might protect swimmers," he said on Friday.
Queensland's shark control program includes nets and drumlines at 86 beaches.
The program kills hundreds of sharks every year, data provided to a question on notice from May says.
Some 58 bull sharks and 75 tiger sharks have been killed so far in 2022, the minister's response says.
Australian Associated Press
