Recently, photos surfed the internet that showed dozens of dead sharks on a fishing ship, according to officials the sharks were caught in gill nets on the Great Barrier Reef.

The photos were captured a couple of months ago and are currently being used by the WWF (World Wildlife Fund) to call on officials to put a stop on using nets to make sure no animals will die.

The Chief Executive of WWF (World Wildlife Fund), Dermot O’Gorman said, “There is nothing illegal in any of these images and in some ways that makes them more disturbing. These pictures show that gill nets are indiscriminate killers in that they drown whatever swims into them including many iconic and threatened species.”

The photos show hammerhead sharks and saw sharks bleeding out with cuts.

According to a zoologist from the WWF, saw sharks are one of the most endangered species of sharks.

The net also caught a marine turtle that looks like a flatback turtle.

According to the Australian Fisheries Management Authority, “The nets are used to target species, typically, gummy shark saw shark and elephant fish. Gill nets are anchored to the ocean floor and when fish swim into the net, their gills, fins, and spines become entangled. They are normally implemented in waters less than 100 meters deep.”

Gill nets are dropped at the sea floor so animals can get trapped in them. If an animal gets caught in the nets, it is really hard to get out from them, they usually die from starvation and starvation.