Trial to remove shark nets from three Sydney and Central Coast beaches a good first step, scientists say
The Guardian newspaper Australian edition: Experts welcome move by NSW government, saying nets are ineffective at preventing shark bites and ‘indiscriminately’ kill marine life
A trial to remove shark nets from three Sydney and Central Coast beaches has been welcomed by scientists who say the nets create a false sense of security and are ineffective at preventing shark bites.
Shark nets, about 150 metres long and installed roughly 500 metres offshore at selected beaches in New South Wales and Queensland, were “like a table tennis net on a soccer pitch”, said Lawrence Chlebeck, a marine biologist at Humane World for Animals.
“They’re not the barriers that people think they are,” he said. “Sharks can easily swim around, underneath, over the top. In fact, 40% of sharks are caught on the inside of the net – so these animals have already been to the beach.”
The nets also “indiscriminately” catch marine life, killing not just target shark species, but also turtles, dolphins and other marine life, he said.
NSW first introduced the nets in the 1930s, with the program since expanded to include 51 beaches between Newcastle and Wollongong.
Nets were only one component of the state’s shark management program, which also included drone surveillance, shark tagging and real-time detection, SMART drumlines (where sharks were caught, tagged and released) and community education.
Last week the state government asked three councils – Waverley, Northern Beaches and Central Coast – to each nominate a beach where the nets could be removed.
