Recent statistics reveal a troubling trend regarding the use of shark nets along the coast of New South Wales, with a significant proportion of marine life caught being non-target and endangered species. According to data from the NSW Department of Primary Industries, acquired by Humane World for Animals and reported by 9news.com.au, 223 animals were ensnared in the nets during the 2024-2025 season. Alarmingly, only 24 were the intended targets—white, tiger, or bull sharks. The majority, at 199, comprised various non-target species.
Among these captured animals were several threatened or protected species, such as green, leatherback, loggerhead, and olive ridley turtles, as well as grey nurse sharks and Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins. The data further indicated that 149 of the 223 captured creatures, or roughly 67 per cent, ultimately perished. This total included four dolphins, seven threatened turtles, and four critically endangered grey nurse sharks, highlighting the grave implications for marine biodiversity.
Humane World for Animals marine biologist, Lawrence Chlebeck, expressed deep concern, noting that around 90 per cent of the animals caught do not relate to the nets’ purpose. He underscored this as not only a crisis of animal welfare but also a significant conservation issue.
The New South Wales government has installed shark nets at 51 beaches across eight councils from Newcastle to Wollongong as a protective measure when the weather warms in September. Additionally, the state employs drone surveillance, shark listening stations, and non-lethal methods such as drumlines to monitor and deter sharks.
In response to ongoing concerns about the nets’ impact on other marine species, councils including Waverley, Central Coast, Northern Beaches, Sutherland Shire, Wollongong City, and Randwick have supported motions for their removal. This year, the state initiated trial measures within its shark management plan to reduce interactions with turtles, including earlier net removal in March, daily inspections, and lighting to prevent turtle entanglement. Despite these changes, 89 per cent of captured animals this season were still non-target species, down slightly from 93 per cent the previous year.
Interestingly, there has only been one recorded shark attack in NSW this year, occurring in early March at Gunyah Beach, while last year saw a non-fatal incident at Elizabeth Bay. Chlebeck is urging the state government to consider permanent removal of shark nets, asserting that alternative measures have proven more effective in ensuring public safety without jeopardising marine wildlife. He concluded that such decisions are clear-cut, given the evidence supporting safer, more humane alternatives.