By Penny Burfitt

ABC Illawarra

Topic: Marine Biology

Olaf Meynecke wants to change how dead whales are disposed of after a bad experience in Wollongong.

In short:

A marine expert says a new way to dispose of whales is needed after a bad experience in Wollongong.

They think disposing of whales offshore is a good idea because it's cheaper and better for the environment.

What's next?

Agencies will review what happened.

Experts want to change how dead whales are disposed of after a bad experience in Wollongong.

A whale carcass was taken from a rock shelf and pulled to a boat ramp, where it was taken out of the water and put in a landfill.

Divers, surfers, and swimmers were in danger because there were no warnings and many sharks appeared.

The water around the boat ramp was dirty and bloody after the whale was removed.

The removal of the whale was called a 'debacle' and the mayor said mistakes were made.

Dr Olaf Meynecke has studied whales and says the process for disposing of them needs to be reviewed.

There are more whales now and the migration season is coming, so the process needs to be changed.

A local man took a picture of a shark near the boat ramp.

Offshore disposal

Dr Meynecke wants whales to be disposed of offshore, not in landfills or buried.

He says towing whales offshore is a good method.

Dr Meynecke tracked a whale carcass that was towed offshore and it sank, which shows this method works.

The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service oversaw the removal of the whale and said it couldn't be towed out to sea.

The department's plan doesn't include towing whales offshore because it didn't work before.

Dr Meynecke says if they track the currents and tow the carcasses far enough, they can avoid problems.

He says this method is cost-effective and good for the environment.

Another expert, Lawrence Chlebeck, also wants to see a better way to dispose of whales.

He says there needs to be a standard procedure for handling whales.

Who is responsible?

Dr Meynecke says there should be a central agency to oversee whale disposal and create a unified plan.

He says this agency should include local Aboriginal communities, scientists, and council authorities.

Currently, the land manager of the area where a whale is stranded is responsible for disposal.

Last week's removal was overseen by the NPWS, but there was confusion about who was in charge.

Tania Brown says the process needs to be reviewed.

The department said Wollongong City Council should have issued safety warnings.

But the mayor said that was not made clear.

The mayor said the communication from National Parks was not clear.

NPWS said they would review what happened and look at responsibilities and communication.

Councillor Brown said Wollongong council supports a new centralised approach.

A local man took a picture of the whale being towed in the water where he was diving.

The mayor said they need to look at all options to do it better.

She said National Parks and Wildlife should lead the effort so all councils can learn.

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