Report period: 8 Feb – 7 Mar 2017

Over 8 Feb–7 Mar 2017 nets were deployed on 24–25 days at five beaches and each checked 19–35 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.

Note

  • Data are preliminary and subject to QA checks and confirmation of species identities from photos and necropsies.
Table 1. The number of days that mesh nets were deployed at each beach, and the number of times each mesh net was checked between 8 Feb and 7 Mar, 2017.

Beach

Number of days

Number of times net checked

Seven Mile, Lennox Head

25

19

Sharpes, Ballina

25

21

Shelly, Ballina

25

21

Lighthouse, Ballina

25

21

Main, Evans Head

24

35

During the third month, 34 individuals across 7 species were caught in the mesh nets

  • 53% were released alive
  • 47% were found dead and had tissue samples retained for analyses (Table 2); and.
  • no target shark species were caught.
Table 2. The number of each species caught in the mesh nets that were alive and released, or dead at each beach.

Beach

Species

Number alive

Number dead

Seven Mile, Lennox Head

Whitespotted Guitarfish

1

0

 

Loggerhead Turtle

0

1

 

Pygmy Devilray

2

2

 

Great Hammerhead Shark

0

1

Sharpes, Ballina

Loggerhead Turtle

1

0

 

Pygmy Devilray

1

1

Shelly, Ballina

Whitespotted Eagle Ray

1

0

 

Australian Cownose Ray

0

2

Lighthouse, Ballina

Whitespotted Eagle Ray

0

2

 

Common Blacktip Shark

0

1

 

Pygmy Devilray

0

1

 

Whitespotted Eagle Ray

1

1

Main, Evans Head

Australian Cownose Ray

9

3

 

Great Hammerhead Shark

1

1

 

Whitespotted Eagle Ray

1

0

TOTAL

 

18

16