Report period: 8 Jan 2017 – 7 Feb 2017
During the second month of the NSW north coast meshing trial, nets were deployed for totals of 27–31 days at five beaches and each checked between 27 and 41 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.
Beach | Number of days nets were deployed | Number of times nets were checked |
---|---|---|
Seven Mile, Lennox Head | 27 | 27 |
Sharpes, Ballina | 27 | 27 |
Shelly, Ballina | 27 | 28 |
Lighthouse, Ballina | 27 | 28 |
Main, Evans Head | 31 | 41 |
During the second month, 72 individuals across 10 species were caught in the mesh nets:
- 56% were released
- 44% were deceased and had tissue samples retained for analyses (Table 2).
- of the three target shark species (White, Tiger and Bull sharks), one White Shark was caught (deceased) in the mesh net at Sharpes Beach and was retained for analysis.
Beach | Species | Number alive | Number dead |
---|---|---|---|
Seven Mile, Lennox Head | Australian Cownose Ray | 1 | 0 |
Loggerhead Turtle | 1 | 0 | |
Pygmy Devilray | 0 | 1 | |
Whitespotted Guitarfish | 1 | 0 | |
Sharpes, Ballina | Australian Cownose Ray | 1 | 0 |
Great Hammerhead Shark | 0 | 2 | |
White Shark | 0 | 1 | |
Green Turtle | 0 | 1 | |
Pygmy Devilray | 2 | 3 | |
Shelly, Ballina | Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin | 0 | 1 |
Australian Cownose Ray | 3 | 2 | |
Great Hammerhead Shark | 0 | 1 | |
Pygmy Devilray | 0 | 1 | |
Whitespotted Eagle Ray | 3 | 0 | |
Lighthouse, Ballina | Australian Cownose Ray | 3 | 2 |
Great Hammerhead Shark | 0 | 1 | |
Whitespotted Eagle Ray | 2 | 0 | |
Main, Evans Head | Australian Cownose Ray | 17 | 7 |
Great Hammerhead Shark | 0 | 3 | |
Loggerhead Turtle | 0 | 1 | |
Pygmy Devilray | 0 | 1 | |
Whitespotted Eagle Ray | 5 | 1 | |
Spinner Shark | 1 | 0 | |
TOTAL | 40 | 32 |