New South Wales Government Pursuing Trial Removal of Shark Nets

Could this be the beginning of the end of shark nets in New South Wales? The shark mitigation measures have long been a contentious presence on Australia’s west coast, and the NSW government has taken a step in the direction towards  removing them.

From September through April, the devices are strung up along beaches on the NSW coast, with the aim of protecting beach-goers. However, despite their admirable aim, the devices are often decried by critics as both ineffective and dangerous to marine life. Data obtained by Humane Society International even found that over 90 percent of marine animals caught in the nets were non-target species.

“They’re not the barriers that people think they are,” Lawrence Chlebeck, a marine biologist at Humane World for Animals, told The Guardian. “Sharks can easily swim around, underneath, over the top. In fact, 40 percent of sharks are caught on the inside of the net – so these animals have already been to the beach.”

It seems the government has been heeding those words. “We know the problems with nets are widespread, in particular around getting other species of marine life caught in those areas,” said senior government minister Ryan Park. To that end, NSW is now taking a step towards the possible removal of nets. This week, the New South Wales government wrote to the councils of Waverley, Northern Beaches and Central Coast, asking each to nominate a beach where shark nets could be removed.

The councils themselves seemed receptive, overall, to the request, as ABC reports. Northern Beaches Council said it “welcomed” the move. Central Coast Council said it would coordinate with the NSW government to make an informed decision on which beach to remove nets from for the trial. Waverley Mayor Will Nemesh said they were only supportive of shark net removal “if there is a significant increase in additional shark mitigation strategies provided for and funded by the state government,” though he admitted that the decision was ultimately up to the state.

According to The Guardian, the councils have until August 22 to respond to the NSW government’s request.