End shark nets in NSW
What started as a misguided attempt to reduce the risk of shark bite for public safety has turned into a drawn-out and devastating force on our marine life. Old habits die hard and the NSW Department of Primary Industries still deploys shark nets at 51 beaches from Newcastle to Wollongong every year.
Dolphins, rays, turtles and sharks are routinely entangled and drown – the vast majority of animals caught are not considered in any way dangerous. This can’t carry on.
We’re calling on the public to send the Premier an email urging him to finally break the habit and retire the nets.
Ditch destructive shark nets for good.
Shark nets, and shark culling, do not reduce the risk of shark bite and provide nothing more than a false sense of security. Tell the NSW Government that it’s time to ditch the nets for good and bring shark bite risk reduction into the 21st century.
Shark nets are indiscriminate, outdated, and ineffective. They have been installed at NSW Beaches for nearly a century, killing hundreds of marine animals every year including threatened and protected species.
Shark nets, and shark culling, do not reduce the risk of shark bite. Since their introduction, 33 shark-human interactions have occurred on beaches in NSW with shark nets. Almost half of sharks are caught on the beach-side of the nets.
Shark nets could actually be considered counterproductive and may even be increasing the risk of shark bite, as dead and dying animals potentially attract sharks.
The NSW government has made great progress in successfully introducing new, non-lethal technologies that, unlike the nets, are effectively reducing the risk of shark bite.
Drone surveillance, SMART drumlines, listening stations, and new education initiatives have all been rolled out and integrated into a new Shark Management Strategy.
With these tried and tested modern methods in place, the NSW Government can ditch the destructive shark nets for good, benefitting marine wildlife and public safety.
Take Action
Become a Shark Champion today.
Join us and over 60,000 Shark Champions in tackling the issues sharks and rays are currently facing in Australian waters. Be a voice for precious marine life by calling on our elected leaders to give our endangered sharks and rays the protections they desperately need.
When it comes to sharks, we are their biggest threat but also their only hope. Become a Shark Champion today.
