People prioritised as wildlife-killing shark nets stay
Jack Gramenz and William Ton |
Shark nets overwhelmingly catch turtles and other non-target creatures but human safety will be prioritised over a staged rollback of the rudimentary devices.
Details about animals entangled in Australia’s largest network of shark nets last summer was revealed days after a rare fatality on Sydney’s beaches.
The majority of marine animals caught died, with targeted shark species only accounting for one in 10 captured.
The 51 nets installed on NSW beaches between Newcastle and Wollongong stretch 150 metres and extend metres below the surface.
The nets are installed at the start of September and remain through summer.
But they were pulled a month earlier than usual in March, due to increased turtle activity in April.
Of the 13 turtles ensnared in the nets seven died. Green turtles were the main species captured in the 2024/25 reporting period.
The program also trialled LED lights on 21 nets to deter turtles, and the numbers captured and killed were less than half that of the previous period.
Of the 223 marine species captured by nets, only 24 were targeted sharks, with 74 animals were released alive.
Whale collisions were also suspected for causing damage to four nets during the seven-month season.
The data’s release came after Mercury Psillakis, 57, was fatally mauled at Long Reef Beach on Sydney’s northern beaches on Saturday.
He had been alerting other surfers to the large shark before being attacked.
Long Reef is not netted, but nearby Dee Why Beach is.
The first recorded fatal shark attack on the northern beaches in nine decades prompted Premier Chris Minns to scrap a trial to remove nets at three yet-to-be-determined beaches.
“That would be a silly decision to make in light of this tragedy,” Mr Minns said.
Cabinet minister Ryan Park, whose electorate is near netted Wollongong beaches, said scrapping the trial was a sensible decision.
“We have to prioritise human safety first and that’s very clear,” he told reporters on Wednesday.
The 24 target sharks captured included 18 white sharks, four bull sharks and two tiger sharks.
Another 117 non-target sharks were caught.
Four dolphins, all threatened or protected species, drowned after being caught in the nets.
While acknowledging Mr Psillakis’ tragic death, critics maintain the nets are a “relic of the past”.
“From a scientific perspective, images of carcasses pulled from nets with shark bites indicate that they are attracting sharks to Sydney’s beaches,” marine biologist Lawrence Chleback said.
Animal Justice MP Emma Hurst said the government should be investing in other shark safety measures.
“There has been a lot of evidence that shark nets themselves are ineffective at protecting beach goers and may actually give a false sense of security,” she told AAP.
Queensland is the only other state with shark nets as part of its management program, with more than two dozen used between the Gold Coast and Mackay.
Western Australia uses rigid “eco barriers” rather than nets.
All three states are investigating and using alternative methods as well.
AAP
