Shark Nets

These beaches are netted by contractors using specially designed meshing nets to reduce the chances of interactions with White, Tiger and Bull Sharks, collectively referred to as ‘target sharks’ of shark mitigation in NSW.

The nets do not create a total barrier between people and sharks. They are designed to intercept target sharks near meshed beaches to reduce the chance of an interaction.

While the nets cannot provide a guarantee that an interaction will never happen, they have reportedly reduced the rate of interactions.

Shark nets are fitted with acoustic warning devices, such as dolphin pingers and whale alarms to deter and minimise the risk of entanglement to those marine mammals.

According to the Australian Shark Incident Database (ASID, formerly known as the Australian Shark Attack File – October 2024), 35 unprovoked shark interactions have reportedly occurred at netted beaches of the SMP, 17 of which involved White Sharks, a target species for the program. Other interactions at meshed beaches were with Wobbegong Sharks (12), unknown species of sharks (3), and unidentified Whaler Sharks (3).

The 2024/25 Program includes a suite of new measures to be trialled, which will increase protections for marine life whilst shark nets remain in use, including:

• Removing shark nets one month earlier, on 31 March 2025, to respond to increased turtle activity in April (from 1989 - 2024 nets came out on 30 April).
• Increasing the frequency of net inspections by the net contractors during February and March from every third day to every second day.
• Using SLS NSW drones to inspect the nets during March on the days the net Contractors aren’t inspecting, effectively providing daily net inspections.
• Trial of lights on nets to deter turtles and prevent their entanglement (February-March 2025).