Report period: 8 April – 7 May 2017
During the fifth month of the NSW north coast meshing trial, nets were deployed for totals of 22–30 days at five beaches and each checked between 20 and 47 times (Table 1). The contractors are required to check the mesh nets twice a day, but if the weather or bar conditions prevent safe access, then fewer checks are made.
- Data are preliminary and subject to Quality Assurance checks and confirmation of species identities from photos and necropsies.
- Asterisks denote data that have been corrected since first publication.
Beach | Number of days nets were deployed | Number of times nets were checked |
---|---|---|
Seven Mile, Lennox Head | 29 | 30 |
Sharpes, Ballina | 28 | 26 |
Shelly, Ballina | 22 | 20 |
Lighthouse, Ballina | 23 | 20 |
Main, Evans Head | 30 | 49 |
In total, 68 individuals from 13 species were caught in the mesh nets. Fifteen animals were released alive, while 53 were found dead and had tissue samples retained for analyses (Table 2).
Beach | Species | Number alive | Number dead |
---|---|---|---|
Seven Mile, Lennox Head | Common Blacktip Shark | 0 | 1 |
Bull Shark | 1 | 0 | |
Great Hammerhead Shark | 0 | 1 | |
Mackerel tuna | 0 | 3 | |
Pygmy Devilray | 1 | 8* | |
Whitespotted Guitarfish | 1 | 1 | |
Unidentified tuna | 0 | 1 | |
Sharpes, Ballina | Australian Cownose Ray | 1 | 0 |
Common Blacktip Shark | 0 | 3 | |
Great Hammerhead Shark | 0 | 1 | |
Greynurse Shark | 0 | 1 | |
Manta Ray | 1 | 0 | |
Pygmy Devilray | 2 | 2 | |
Whitespotted Eagle Ray | 1 | 2 | |
Shelly, Ballina | Common Blacktip Shark | 0 | 1 |
Green Turtle | 0 | 1 | |
Whitespotted Guitarfish | 0 | 1 | |
Lighthouse, Ballina | Australian Cownose Ray | 1 | 0 |
Mulloway | 0 | 3 | |
Pygmy Devilray | 1 | 2 | |
Whitespotted Eagle Ray | 1 | 2 | |
Main, Evans Head | Common Blacktip Shark | 0 | 1 |
Great Hammerhead Shark | 0 | 2 | |
Pygmy Devilray | 4 | 16 | |
TOTAL | 15 | 53* |