The dead juvenile humpback whale found dead off Wombarra, entangled in shark nets. Photo: Khynan Gardner ORRCA.
Who should foot the bill for disposal of an 8 m whale carcass that washed up just north of Scarborough beach in October?
The juvenile whale drowned after it became entangled in NSW Government-managed shark nets, but because it washed up on shore, Wollongong City Council had to spend $44,000 retrieving and dumping the body.
Council has long pushed for the permanent removal of shark nets off the Illawarra coastline.
Greens Councillor Jess Whittaker said the cost of recovering the nearly five-tonne whale should be borne by the NSW Primary Industries Department.
“The responsibility for this horrific incident rests squarely with the NSW Government and the Agriculture Minister’s ineffective shark netting program,” she said.
“The recovery of the deceased whale placed an immense toll on council staff.
“In addition to this, Wollongong ratepayers are now expected to pick up the $44,043 bill for something the NSW Government mismanaged.”
The Ward 1 councillor said council staff did a solid job in dangerous conditions, but it shouldn’t have been their responsibility in the first place.
Part of the tab racked up was in overtime fees for staff who had to put in extra hours to get the whale safely out of the water and to the tip.
The incident also resulted in the closure of a number of Wollongong beaches for several days, after the body attracted a large number of sharks to the area.
“The whale could have been handled much more safely at sea when it was first discovered floating in the net,” Cr Whittaker said.
“[Staff had to] remove the animal from slippery rocks amongst the waves and other marine life, including great white sharks, that had been attracted to the area.
“There is a touch of irony that in the end, shark nets, which are supposed to keep swimmers safe, in fact made the areas less safe with the closure of beaches up and down the coast for the week.
“There is strong evidence to suggest this happens on a smaller scale with bycatch removed by contractors from shark nets, documented to have large bite marks in it when recovered from the nets.”
On Tuesday in NSW Parliament, Greens MLC Cate Faehrmann asked the Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty about a request from Wollongong Council to cover the bill.
Minister Moriarty said the incident was regrettable, but made no commitment to cover the costs, or to end the shark netting program.
A Primary Industries and Regional Development Department spokesperson said there was no way they would foot the bill.
“The Government is not considering moving away from the current practice of councils being responsible for the clean-up of dead marine animals on council beaches,” the spokesperson said.
