The Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) and Parks Australia have reported the capture of a monster two-tonne ‘ghost’ from theGulf of Carpentaria near Weipa, in Queensland.
The catch was an abandoned fishing gillnet believed to have been left by a foreign fishing vessel north of Australia before drifting into the Gulf.
General Manager of Fisheries Operations at AFMA, Peter Venslovas, said the net weighed in heavier than a four-door family car, and its salvage highlighted the importance of removing ghost nets from Australian waters.
Mr Venslovas said ghost nets were lost, abandoned or otherwise discarded fishing nets that drifted across oceans, posing a risk to marine life, safe navigation and ecosystems.
“Ghost nets drifting in Australian waters can kill our marine life and be a danger to vessels, so it’s paramount they’re removed quickly,” Mr Venslovas said.
He said the ghost net dragged from the Gulf contained a number of dead marine species, including two sand crabs and a whaler shark, along with live bream that were released.
Head of Marine Protected Areas at Parks Australia, Jason Mundy said ghost nets can be over 100 metres long and drift into some very sensitive marine habitats.
“Removing these nets is important for the protection of marine species and the safety of those who work and enjoy our marine environment,” Mr Mundy said.
The Gulf’s two-tonne Ghost has now been brought ashore and donated to the Pormpuraaw Art Centre in Far North Queensland where it will be turned into Indigenous art.
