Heartbreaking footage has emerged of a dolphin desperately trying to free her three-month-old calf after it became ensnared in shark nets.
The footage shows the baby dolphin emitting high-pitched calls of distress as its mother appears to push it to the surface for air.
The struggling calf had its stomach pierced by a hook off the coast of Surfers Paradise in Queensland while it was being taught how to steal fish from drum lines,Seven News reports.
Heartbreaking footage has emerged of a dolphin calf caught in a shark net off Surfers Paradise in Queensland
In the shocking footage, the baby dolphin can be seen with a hook pierced through its stomach
The baby bottlenose dolphin was saved by Seaworld workers and taken to the theme park, where it has been named Cara.
‘The animal actually paired up with one of our other dolphins, Hally, and there is a mother daughter bond there,’ Trevor Long from Seaworld told Seven News.
Sea Shepherd released the video to expose the damage shark control equipment inflict on sea life, and urge Queensland to pull all such equipment out of the water.
‘It’s about time the Queensland government actually reviewed shark net and drum line policies,’ Greens Senator Larissa Waters said.
She said it was a shame these policies have been in place for more than 50 years without a ‘proper expert review,’ The ABC have reported.
In 2014, the control program captured 667 sharks but had collateral damage, with 131 other marine animals killed in the nets.
The bottlenose dolphin was learning from it’s mother how to steal fish from bathed drum lines when the hook pierced it’s stomach
The dolphin, now named Cara, was saved just in time by Seaworld and calls the theme park its home for now
Fisheries Minister Bill Byrnes said there is no intention to change the current shark netting policy as it saves human lives, even though only one person has been attacked by a shark on a Queensland beach in 50 years.
‘There’s all sorts of different non-lethal methods to keep swimmers safe that don’t kill our beautiful wildlife,’ Ms Waters said.
With this years humpback whale migration in mind, Seaworld has suggested taking two nets out of the water on the southern end of the coast.
