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March 28, 2024

More threatened species than sharks caught in nets: Greens

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A ray caught in netting that is meant to deter sharks. (Sea Shepherd)
A ray caught in netting that is meant to deter sharks. (Sea Shepherd)

The fourth monthly report of the NSW north coast Shark Mesh Net Trial has shown the five nets across the NSW north coast only caught one target species shark in a month where the nets were as often out of the water owing to adverse conditions.

According to the Greens, the Shark Net Trial date from 8 December 2016 to 7 April 2017 shows:

  • 6 target shark species (White, Tiger and Bull Sharks) killed or caught over the four months.
  • 28 non-target sharks killed or caught, including 18 endangered hammerhead sharks wiped out.
  • 52 non-target, harmless marine animals killed in the nets.
  • 99 non-target, harmless marine animals caught (not killed) in the nets.

NSW Greens MP and marine environment spokesperson Justin Field said the data ‘confirmed the shark nets trial has failed and the nets had become little more than death traps for marine life off the north coast.’

‘The NSW Government pushed ahead with its decision to use shark nets on the north coast despite the lack of evidence they were an effective means of mitigating shark bites and known risks to local marine life – now the data is in and the trial has failed,’ Mr Field said.

‘The north coast shark nets have killed dolphins, turtles, rays and other marine species that don’t pose a risk to swimmers or surfers along the coast,’ he added.

‘The government is also failing to ensure contractors are inspecting the nets as required with checking rates falling to well below the minimum once-a-day standard.

‘The NSW Government can do better than providing the north coast with a shark net mesh program that provides a false sense of security for surfers and swimmers but has a huge impact on our wildlife and budget.

‘Serious questions have also been raised over why Department of Primary Industries failed to provide evidence at the recent Senate Inquiry into Shark Mitigation and Deterrent Measures, despite being twice invited and the government continuing to describe NSW shark mitigation measures as being ‘world leading’.

‘A reasonable assumption would be that despite DPI’s best efforts, the government’s shark net approach itself is flawed and would not withstand public scrutiny.

‘The only reasonable response to the latest statistics is to haul up the nets and put in place non-lethal technologies such as community observer programs, better resourcing lifeguards and personal deterrent devices,’ Mr Field said.

A full copy of The Greens’ non-lethal approach to shark management is available here.


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3 COMMENTS

  1. On the DPI report page for 8th March to 7 April it says, two whaler sharks and one tuna could not be positively identified to the species level due to the state of decomposition.. So… just how often are the nets checked?..Not often enough if an animal can decompose that much in between checks…….Leaves little chance to prevent drowning deaths of anything caught in the nets. ..don’t blame the rough seas preventing checks because the nets weren’t even deployed then..

    On another note, when was the last time a surfer or beach swimmer was attacked by a Common Blacktip or dusky whaler in Australia??… wonderful classification system calling these ‘potentially dangerous’ to suit the program goals…great way to boost the numbers of ‘dangerous’ species caught…. need to reduce the ratio of harmless animals caught for every ‘target/dangerous’ animal..or the program might look disastrous and funding diverted to more useful means.

  2. Well the human race would rather see the extinction of endangered species – like the Loggerhead Turtle trapped in nets recently!!!

    NOT SO for most of us!

    It is a sad state of affairs when marine animals have to die needlessly.

    Would authorities on “nets” please acknowledge the obvious statistics!!!

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