Shark nets have been used along New South Wales beaches for the past 88 years, implemented as a strategy to reduce the risk of shark attacks on swimmers. However, new evidence suggests that shark nets are not only ineffective as a protective measure against sharks but also do significant damage to non-target marine life like dolphins, turtles and whales. Many members of my local community have been in contact with me to express their grave concern for the damage done to marine life by shark nets while not delivering the outcome of shark protection that swimmers need.

Each year, 51 beaches in New South Wales are lined with shark nets that are 150 metres long and six metres deep and installed in 12 metres of water. The nets do not create a barrier. Sharks can and do swim around them, over them and under them. The nets trap and kill marine life—not just sharks but endangered species. Since 2012, shark nets up and down our coast have taken the lives of 74 dolphins and 134 marine turtles. The critically endangered grey nurse shark has also lost vital population numbers, with 177 sharks becoming entangled and 71 dying. Since 2012, shark nets have caught 4,344 animals, killing 2,545 of them, but only 358 of those animals have been the target species of great white, tiger or bull sharks. That is a hit rate of only 8.24 per cent.

More recently, in the 2024-2025 season of the New South Wales shark meshing program, 223 marine animals were caught in shark nets, 67 per cent died and 89 per cent were non-target species. I say that again: Around 90 per cent of the animals caught in shark nets are non-target species who suffer horrific and often fatal consequences. This is not about pitting human lives against marine lives. It is about doing what works. In 2024, the NSW Threatened Species Scientific Committee criticised the shark meshing program, stating:

The overall objective of the shark mesh program is to reduce human fatalities from key target sharks on beaches. At present there is no evidence that such actions do decrease fatalities.

A 2019 study by the University of Wollongong found that shark nets were not effective in keeping people safe at the beach from shark interactions and did significant damage to a multitude of protected and harmless marine species. Members of the community across the State are calling for the use of more effective, modern and non‑lethal technologies, solutions that both protect ocean users and preserve our precious marine life ecosystems.

I commend the Department of Primary Industries and the New South Wales Government for investing heavily in evidence-based, modern solutions like drones for surveillance, allowing real-time identification of sharks and immediate alarms; smart drum lines, which tag and release sharks offshore, enabling better understanding of their movements; and education campaigns to increase ocean safety awareness. Those are the twenty-first century tools we should be embracing, which do not rely on the death of marine animals and also keep our communities safe. I acknowledge the tireless advocacy of community organisations, scientists, conservationists and community members in my electorate and across New South Wales who are making a strong case for change.

Some councils have been leading the way, like Northern Beaches Council and Waverley Council, and are trialling shark net removal in their local areas or opting for smarter, non-lethal technologies. They are showing leadership on local matters and looking for evidence-based decisions that can deliver safety and sustainability. We have to make sure we do not continue to use outdated measures simply because that is the way it has always been. Our oceans are changing, our understanding of them is evolving and our policies should evolve with them. That means phasing out shark nets. It means fully embracing alternatives that work. We have the data, we have the technology and we have the support of the community. It is time to end the shark net era to chart a safer, smarter, more sustainable course for beachgoers and our treasured Australian marine life.