Cargo net retrieval operation prevents boating and wildlife hazard

[mrsswordfisherman]

MARINE RESCUE NSW
Media Release

Cargo net retrieval operation prevents boating and wildlife hazard

Shipping, boating and fishing crews have been urged to retrieve gear lost overboard rather than leaving it to become an offshore hazard, following a Marine Rescue Port Kembla operation to retrieve a large cargo net on the weekend.

NSW Police Marine Area Command tasked Port Kembla 30 to locate and recover the cargo net after a boater out fishing reported it was forming a navigation hazard about 5 nautical miles off Port Kembla on Sunday.

Marine Rescue Port Kembla Deputy Unit Commander Graeme McCrudden said the crew, Russell Edyvean, Ray O’Malley, Craig Thrush and Patrick Cairney, had located the net east of the port and returned it to shore.

“This was a long slow operation, with the tow taking almost two hours as the net was very heavy and about 75 metres long,” Mr McCrudden said.

“Once the crew reached the Port Kembla ramp, the tow line was passed to a waiting Port Kembla Water Police 4WD and with assistance from others, the net was dragged to the car park.”

Mr McCrudden said it was important that shipping, boating and fishing crews retrieved gear from the ocean to prevent it becoming a hazard for other boaters and wildlife, particularly migrating whales.

“If something falls overboard, you should make every effort to retrieve it. If boaters see any gear that they can easily retrieve, they should bring it ashore. In this case, this net was obviously too large,” he said.

“Whales and dolphins can easily become tangled in ropes, lines and nets such as this. If that line or net then becomes caught around rocks or a reef, the animal would not be able to come up for air and would drown.

“Equipment such as this floating on or just below the surface also can foul boats’ propellers, leading to a major emergency.”

Mr McCrudden said while the net retrieval was still under way, Port Kembla 30 was tasked to retrieve a yacht in trouble off Wollongong and return it to harbour.

[Guest Aussie007]

sounds like they are targeting boaters of any size, a 75 meter long net is a very long net for a rec fisho's boat i think its just lazy professional fisherman to much work to retrieve so they let it float away

[Blood Knot]

sounds like they are targeting boaters of any size, a 75 meter long net is a very long net for a rec fisho's boat i think its just lazy professional fisherman to much work to retrieve so they let it float away

Cant think why a 75 meter long cargo net would be needed on a fishing boat, professional or otherwise. Maybe a freighter of some description ?

Cheers Blood Knot

[Sydneyfisher12]

I would think a net of 75m would cost a lot of money to buy so I don't think fisherman would of dropped it maybe it came off a cargo ship or something dodgy is going on

[Guest Aussie007]

had a brain fart guys was just thinking of a net not a cargo net sorry

[Sydneyfisher12]

yer i was thinking the same thing i thought it was a fishing net now i read it over and its a cargo net '

sorry