Shark nets don’t work to keep swimmers and surfers safe, but they are very effective at killing marine animals.
In 2021/22 alone, 376 marine animals were caught in the shark nets at ocean beaches in Newcastle, Sydney and Wollongong. Sadly, 325 of the animals caught were not even target species, but all are precious and important for flourishing ocean ecosystems species. 203 animals caught were protected species. Of these, 156 were killed, including threatened turtle species and critically endangered grey nurse sharks.
There are much more effective ways to keep beaches safe without killing harmless marine life. Drones, personal shark deterrents, and education are all preferred by scientists and the public.
The tides are turning, and we are on the brink of persuading the NSW Government to pull the shark nets from NSW’s ocean beaches for good.
We need your help to keep the pressure on by writing to The Hon. Dugald Saunders, NSW Minister for Agriculture, and asking him to end the use of shark nets.
Humane Society International PO BOX 439 Avalon, NSW 2107
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*Likely effectiveness of netting or other capture programs as a shark hazard mitigation strategy in Western Australia (2012) – Associate Professor Daryl McPhee, Bond University
Image: HSI/AMCS/N McLachlan