Shark nets are ineffective at reducing shark bites and harmful to marine life. It's time to rely on the scientifically backed shark management measures already being used, as they protect people without hurting marine life
Shark nets are not barriers to the open sea. These devices, installed at beaches spanning hundreds of metres, are essentially flapping pieces of fishing gear. They are installed at beaches in New South Wales and Queensland. In both states, nets are set ~500m from shore, and they do not prevent sharks from swimming over, under or around them.
In New South Wales, shark nets only reach halfway to the ocean surface and stretch merely 150m in length. They are installed at 51 beaches between Newcastle and Wollongong from September – April every year [1]. In New South Wales, the program targets 3 species of sharks. If these sharks are found alive, they are tagged and released.
Source: Sea Shepherd Australia
In Queensland, the nets are between 124 – 186m in length. They are dropped 6 metres deep into the water and anchored to the sea floor. These nets remain in the water all year long at 86 beaches in Queensland, excluding the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park [2].
Source: Sea Shepherd Australia
Queensland also deploys lethal drumlines. These are baited fishing-hooks that are designed to hook and kill animals.
Credit: Sea Shepherd Australia
Queensland’s program targets 7 species of sharks. Sadly, if any of these sharks are caught on a shark net or drumline outside of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and they haven’t drowned before a contractor arrives, they are then killed. This is known as an active culling program, which scientists have shown don’t work to reduce shark bites.
Associate Professor Laurenson’s research explains why shark nets are ineffective. As summarised by Deakin University, “after analysing 60 years of Australian data, Associate Professor Laurenson found that shark mitigation activities, such as shark nets and drum lines, have no statistical impact on the number of shark attacks. In fact, they may actually have a contra effect, making us “feel” safer and behave with less caution than we should – as well as unnecessarily killing sharks and other marine life.” [3]
Source: Epic Stock Media
Shark nets are simply small nets in a large ocean that don’t prevent a shark from swimming close to shore. Furthermore, sharks are migratory species, and they travel many kilometres each day.
Relying on a shark net to mitigate a shark bite is as effective as placing a tissue on your head and hoping it will protect you in a hailstorm.
Dr McPhee, a leading researcher, gave evidence in a critical Tribunal case. He said it was “highly plausible” that if lethal technologies like shark nets are removed tomorrow, we would see no discernible change in unprovoked shark bites, including fatalities. [4]
Furthermore, a recent report showed that there were more shark interactions at beaches with shark nets in Sydney’s metro region. [5]
The NSW Threatened Species Scientific Committee said expanding modern measures would better reduce the risk of a shark bite occurring and ensure the shark management program does not jeopardise the survival or conservation status of threatened species.[6]
When marine life are caught in shark nets, many cannot escape. They often drown in their own home after spending hours exhausting themselves trying to break free.
dolphins caught in New South Wales last season drowned and died before they could be released. The survival of the one animal released alive cannot be guaranteed.
of marine life caught by shark nets between September 2012 – April 2024 were not the target of NSW’s shark net program – including dolphins, turtles and rays.
bull sharks (which make up one third of all target sharks in New South Wales) were caught by shark nets in New South Wales last season. Instead, 240 non-target species were caught across the state.
of the target sharks caught on a shark net or a lethal drumline in Queensland (outside of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park) are killed – regardless of whether they present any risk to humans.
Both New South Wales and Queensland Governments have invested in modern scientifically supported shark management measures. These measures keep people safe and don’t harm marine life. It’s time to rely on these measures and remove outdated shark nets.
In partnership with Sea Shepherd Australia, we are advocating to remove shark nets for good and rely on effective, scientifically supported shark mitigation technologies.
Learn more about what an effective shark management program looks like
An effective shark management program includes a combination of each of the following measures.
Drones are aerial vehicles that are fitted with camera surveillance to monitor stretches of coastline. They are manned by Surf Life Saving patrollers. They are used to spot sharks in the water from the air and to determine whether beaches need to be evacuated based on the level of risk present. Drones have proven to be an extremely effective tool in the detection of large sharks and other marine risks close to local beaches.[7]
Shark listening stations are receivers deployed from the coastline that record and send out an alert in real-time when a tagged shark swims within 500m of the device. Shark listening stations work in partnership with an effective tagging program. Shark listening stations are effective as they enable people to reduce the chance of encountering a shark up close and enable beach authorities to make better informed decisions about when to close a beach because a large shark is present.
An effective tagging program requires a science-first directive, where scientists, not contractors, coordinate tagging activities. This is run in Western Australia where target sharks’ feeding opportunities (such as a whale carcass) are monitored by scientists for the opportunity to tag feeding sharks. Western Australia does not use shark nets or SMART drumlines.
Between 1st May 2023 and 01 July 2024, listening stations picked up 497 individual target sharks, a staggering 33 times the amount of target sharks caught by shark nets.
Experts agree, community education is the best way to reduce the risk of shark bites. The state departments run shark education at beaches, schools, and community events. Education is also available in New South Wales with the SharkSmart app. People can get real-time shark alerts and beach safety info tailored to their preferences – time, region, type, or beach. Shark smart education is also one of the most favoured methods of shark management in New South Whales.
Personal deterrent devices are used by individuals to reduce the chance of a shark bite occurring. There is an emerging market for such devices. However not every device is to the same standard and the market is not regulated, so only independently-tested and verified devices should be considered.
The Western Australian Government offers a rebate scheme for devices which meet a scientific threshold of their effectiveness. Currently, only devices from two brands meet this criteria: Ocean Guardian and Rpela.
The National Coronial Information System reported that across Australia, horses and cows killed more people than sharks did between 2001 - 2017.
Thanks to the tireless efforts of our supporters and partner organisations, we’ve successfully pressured the New South Wales government to remove lethal shark nets one month earlier in the 2024/2025 season. And as of March this year, no NSW councils have voted in favour of keeping the nets.
While these wins are a welcomed step in the right direction, we will continue to advocate for the permanent removal of shark nets from Australian waters.
In Ballina, Australia, we championed a campaign against the installation of shark nets. The NSW Government decided against the permanent use of these nets thanks to the loud voice of locals calling for their removal. This saves the lives of countless marine animals passing through these waters.
Share our petition to tell the NSW Agriculture Minister it’s time to remove shark nets and rely on modern shark mitigation measures that protect people without harming marine life with your loved ones
If you live in New South Wales, you have an incredibly powerful ability to speak to your local MP about why you want to retire shark nets for good. Send your letter via our easy website form.
Your donation supports our advocacy to permanently retire shark nets and rely on scientifically supported shark mitigation technologies
Be shark smart when you enter the water. By taking simple steps you can protect yourself and the ones you love when you enjoy the ocean.
