Eight NSW councils with shark nets have agreed to discontinue their use

February 27, 2025

Environment / Recreation / Safety /

Following the NSW Government’s consultation with coastal councils over the future of shark nets at their ocean beaches, Randwick Council was the last council to vote.

Randwick Council, has this week voted to discontinue using shark nets, meaning none of the eight councils with shark nets have supported their continued use.

The Humane World for Animals notes that the overwhelming lack of support for shark nets from all affected councils now paves the way for the NSW Government to “announce a modern and effective shark safety program that dispenses with the destructive and ineffective nets.”

Randwick Council is responsible for shark nets at Coogee and Maroubra beaches.

Humane World for Animals marine biologist and PhD researcher in human/shark interactions, Lauren Sandeman addressed the council meeting ahead of the vote. Sandeman explained that shark nets make no difference to public safety but instead have a devastating impact on marine animals.

The Maroubra and Coogee shark nets have not recorded the capture of a single target shark since 2020. They have instead caught and killed numerous other marine life, including endangered turtles and critically endangered grey nurse sharks.

Sandeman notes “Shark nets are redundant, and we should rely solely on vastly superior alternative measures that successive NSW governments have spent years developing—drone surveillance and listening stations (which detect tagged sharks in the area and send alerts). SMART drumlines are also in place at the beaches to catch and relocate target sharks and personal shark deterrents are commercially available for people to wear.

“Information obtained by FOI from the local council’s drone surveillance has shown at least six target sharks swimming close to shore on the beach-side of the shark net at Maroubra in the last six months. Shark nets are completely ineffective relics of the past and the people and marine life of NSW deserve better.”

Sandeman also addressed the growing public safety concern that shark nets attract sharks. Images from within the NSW Shark Meshing Program (SMP) and obtained under Freedom of Information, show large sharks feeding on animals caught in the nets, proving a long-held theory that dead and dying animals in the nets actually attract sharks into the beach.

The images are consistent with a Report on the Scientific Guidelines to reduce shark bites, prepared for the QLD Department of Fisheries, which outlines several guidelines to mitigate shark bite.

One of those guidelines is to ‘not swim or surf near shark nets.’

Sandeman added “as sharks are attracted to struggling prey, a shark net is akin to ringing a dinner bell for any large shark in the area, and those nets are placed right near swimmers and surfers with the false assumption that they keep us safe.

‘Having a shark safety program that attracts sharks towards swimmers is irresponsible in anyone’s language. Shark nets are a dangerous placebo that we have used for far too long. We wouldn’t accept antiquated almost 100-year-old safety standards in any other facet of our lives – why would beach safety be the exception? The beachgoing public of NSW deserves better, and so does our marine life.”

With millions of supporters and work happening in over 50 countries, Humane World for Animals- formerly called Humane Society International- addresses the most deeply entrenched forms of animal cruelty and suffering. As the leading voice in the animal protection space, they work to end the cruellest practices, care for animals in crisis and build a stronger animal protection movement. Driving toward the greatest global impact, they aim to achieve the vision behind our name: a more humane world.

Images. Images from within the NSW Shark Meshing Program (SMP) and obtained under Freedom of Information, show large sharks feeding on animals caught in the nets, proving a long-held theory that dead and dying animals in the nets actually attract sharks into the beach. Credit: Humane World for Animals

30th August 2024 - NSW Government failing to act on shark net removal at beaches

5th August 2024 - Shortened shark net season still puts endangered grey nurse sharks at extinction risk

30th May 2024 - Conservation groups continue to call on NSW Government to end outdated shark net protection system

28th April 2021 - Council calls on NSW Government to remove shark nets from Sydney’s northern beaches

18th March 2018 - NSW shark net trial kills endangered marine life

26th February 2017 - NSW shark nets kill endangered dolphins and turtles

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