SYDNEY (19 March 2025)—Shark nets in NSW will be removed on 31 March. They may never go back in – and it could make us safer.
Debate over the removal of shark nets is rightly a public safety issue, but questions are now being asked about whether the nets may have placed beachgoers at greater risk for years.
Images from within the NSW Shark Meshing Program (SMP) and obtained under Freedom of Information, show that large sharks have fed on animals caught in the nets, proving a long-held theory that dead and dying animals in the nets attract sharks.
The images are consistent with a 2020 report from James Cook University for the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries which outlines several guidelines to mitigate shark bite.
One of those guidelines is to, ‘not swim or surf near shark nets.’
‘This is dangerously ironic for a public safety measure,’ said Lawrence Chlebeck, marine biologist with Humane World for Animals, formerly Humane Society International (HSI) Australia.
‘Shark nets are intended to capture target sharks, but their inherent design flaw is that they mostly catch other marine animals,’ he said.
‘As sharks are attracted to struggling prey, a shark net is akin to ringing a dinner bell for any shark in the area, and those nets are placed right near swimmers and surfers with the assumption that they keep us safe.’
The sharks targeted by the SMP are migratory species—white, tiger, and bull. They travel vast distances around our coastline, and are attracted to activity, scent, and when they sense animals in distress.
With shark nets located off Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong beaches generally checked every three days throughout the season, a trapped animal could send out distress signals for hours, if not days.
‘If that animal is wounded by the net and is bleeding, or if it has died and has started to decompose, then that’s a lot of shark-attracting cues getting sent out,’ Chlebeck said.
‘These images add significant pressure to the Minns Government to retire the nets from NSW beaches once and for all.’
Humane World for Animals says the NSW government can better protect the public using the vastly superior alternative measures that the government has spent years developing—drone surveillance, listening stations (which detect tagged sharks in the area and send alerts), and SMART drumlines.
‘Modern shark safety measures such as drones, listening stations and SMART drumlines are already in place at every one of the 51 beaches between Newcastle and Wollongong where shark nets are currently deployed, and they continually prove to be much more effective at keeping beachgoers safe,’ Chlebeck said.
‘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 relied on for far too long. The beachgoing public of NSW deserves better, and so does our marine life. When the shark nets are removed on the 31 March, we hope it will be for the last time,’ he said.
Lawrence Chlebeck is available for interview.
Key Facts:
Shark nets are due to be removed from NSW beaches on 31 March.
Public and Council pressure means they may not be returned in September as usual.
Images show that animals caught in shark nets are being fed on by sharks, attracted to them.
This proves a long-held theory that caught and struggling animals attract sharks.
Shark nets may have been placing us at greater risk from shark bite.
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About Humane World for Animals
Together, we tackle the root causes of animal cruelty and suffering to create permanent change. 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, we work to end the cruelest practices, care for animals in crisis and build a stronger animal protection movement. Driving toward the greatest global impact, we aim to achieve the vision behind our name: a more humane world.
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Matthew Smeal
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