Tag: shark nets

From Nets to Networks: A Changing Current for Shark Control in NSW

Posted by on in Spring 2025Leave a comment

Emily Rowland, Sydney Region Branch and Nets Out and David Stead, President Sydney Region Branch

From Nets to Networks: A Changing Current For Shark Control in NSW

For nearly a century, shark nets have lined the eastern coastline of Australia as silent markers of an era that mistook dominance for protection. First introduced in New South Wales in 1937 after a series of shark attacks, these nets were seen as a technological solution to public fear: a way to control nature in the name of safety.

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Shark nets: a false sense of security

Posted by on in Spring 2024Leave a comment

Loéva Martin-Podevin, PhD candidate Macquarie University, Supervisors: Professor Culum Brown and Jane Williamson 

Sharks in Australia  

Australia is home to 180 shark species, representing almost half of all shark species worldwide. Most of the country’s human population is distributed along the coast, increasing the possibility of human-shark interactions. Recently, these interactions have been on the rise worldwide1 attributed to the increase in coastal population density and the growing number of people participating in water activities (surfing, diving, swimming). Human-shark interactions are defined as any contact between a human and a shark, ranging from a shark swimming close to a human to a shark bite related death. These interactions can be divided into provoked or unprovoked. A provoked incident occurs when a human actively tries to engage with a shark. For example, when a diver approaches too close or tries to touch the shark and gets bitten. The probability of getting killed by a shark in Australia is very low: one in 8 million, the same as being killed by a kangaroo (The Nature Conservancy Australia). In 2023, 15 unprovoked shark incidents were reported in Australia, (including one in New South Wales (NSW)) which resulted in four fatalities. Shark bites most likely occur because sharks mistake humans for prey. But they soon realise their mistake and move on. Humans are not on their menu. Three species of sharks are mostly responsible for these incidents: The White Shark, the Bull Shark and the Tiger Shark. These species are the targets of shark management methods on Australia’s East Coast.   

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