Alexander Forrest, Landfall (ANIMALS 2026)

Rescue alone does not always guarantee survival, even for the largest of ocean inhabitants. In late 2025, a humpback whale was released from fishing gear in northern NSW, but after several days at sea, weakened by exhaustion and live predation, it was found deceased at a popular beach. Entanglement from fishing and shark mitigation equipment remains a documented threat to humpback whales in Australian waters. Along Australia’s east coast, outdated and lethal drumline systems continue to expand, promoted as measures to increase beach safety, despite research questioning their effectiveness. More than 600 beaches along the migration route are now lined with these systems, creating risks to cetaceans not seen since the ban on commercial whaling. As more effective replacements for beach safety systems continue to emerge, the question remains: when will policy makers prioritise education, evidence-based decision making and the pursuit of long-term ecological coexistence?

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