Facts

Focus on Removing Australian Shark Nets

Port Jackson Shark in NSW SMPFor over 70 years shark nets in NSW and QLD, Australia have been catching sharks, dolphins, whales, rays, turtles, dugongs and fish and as a result many die. This happens 24 hours a day while the nets are in operation – this is the largest fishing effort ever made on any species.

Shark nets operate in the Shark Control Program in the state of Queensland (QLD) since 1962, and in the Shark Meshing Program in New South Wales (NSW) since 1937 to protect swimmers from unlikely incidents with sharks. The other states South Australia (SA), Western Australia (WA), Victoria (VIC) and the Northern Territory (NT) effectively use aerial and beach monitoring; while the public practice safe swimming habits see Surf Life Saving Australia Fact Sheet.

In QLD from 1985 – 2008 (23 years) 28,830 Sharks were caught and subsequently died within the shark control program see QLD Dept of Primary Industries and Fisheries for a full report on the entire catch of sharks across the state. To see the scope of the species caught click here. Please note that there is more tables below these see CSV files and not all species have been recorded so this number is a minimum value.

If sharks are found alive within the equipment then they are often euthanised to further protect beach users.

QLD use a mix of drum-lines (more species selective) and nets (highly unselective), however NSW only use nets.

Despite the fact that NSW has a pulse fishing operation (shark nets are in place from September to April (inclusive) there is evidence of strong declines in shark catch populations in NSW as well as QLD – are Shark species dying off faster than we realise?

Sign the petition here (see left) to get governments to act on the removal of these nets.

Species Caught Within Shark Nets

This is a snapshot of only some of the species caught within the Shark Control Program in QLD and Shark Meshing Program in NSW:

  • Australian Fur Seal - Bycatch; NSW status: Vulnerable
  • Blacktip Reef Whaler – Harmless
  • Blue Shark – Harmless
  • Bonito – Bycatch
  • Bottlenose Dolphin - Bycatch
  • Bull Whaler – Potentially Harmful
  • Common Blacktip Whaler – Harmless
  • Common Dolphin  – Bycatch
  • Cownose Ray – Bycatch
  • Dugong - Bycatch; NSW status: Endangered; QLD status: Vulnerable
  • Dusky Whaler – Harmless
  • Eagle Ray – Bycatch
  • Eastern Shovelnosed – Bycatch
  • Great Hammerhead – Harmless
  • Green Turtle – Bycatch; NSW status: Vulnerable
  • Grey Nurse Shark – Harmless
  • Hammerhead Shark – Harmless
  • Humpback Whale – Bycatch; NSW and QLD status: Vulnerable
  • Leatherback Turtle – Bycatch; NSW status: Vulnerable
  • Loggerhead Turtle – Bycatch; NSW status: Endangered
  • LongNose Whaler – Harmless
  • Mako – Harmless
  • Manta Ray – Bycatch
  • Marlin – Bycatch
  • Olive Ridley Turtle – Bycatch
  • Pigeye Whaler- Harmless
  • Port Jackson Shark – Harmless (eats Urchins)
  • Sandbar Whaler – Harmless
  • Scalloped Hammerhead – Harmless
  • Shovelnosed Ray – Bycatch
  • Spinner Dolphin – Bycatch
  • Tiger Shark – Potentially Harmful
  • Tuna – Bycatch
  • White Shark – Potentially Harmful; NSW status: Vulnerable
  • Zebra/ Leopard Shark – Harmless


Gold Coast, QLD, Australia; By-catch Data from Shark Nets 2000-2008

Open attachment below to have a look at what was recorded as By Catch in the shark nets on Gold Coast beaches from 2000-2008. There is no reason to be catching and killing these species.

Gold Coast By-catch 2000 to 2008

Note: This data is recorded by the contractors who clear the nets for Queensland Department of Primary Industries & Fisheries.

The Queensland Great Barrier Reef Region Shark Net Toll – “Protecting” Tourists, Killing Locals

The following were caught in shark nets in the Great Barrier Reef region since the introduction of the QLD Shark Control Program in the late 1960s to the mid 1990’s.

2140 turtles

552 dugongs

216 dolphins

During this period it is estimated that only 7 percent of dugongs, and 10 percent of dolphins, were released alive.

Source: CRC Reef Research

Why are Sharks Important?

Sharks play an important role in the oceans food webs (as top predators) if sharks are removed effects will be felt down the food web and could cause harm to other species survival.

In recent years sharks have become threatened by:

  • Overfishing
  • NEGATIVE MEDIA ATTENTION
  • Shark finning
  • Capture for the aquarium trade
  • Shark Net programs
  • Polluted habitats
  • Reduced food supply

The worldwide fall in shark populations has been recognised by the United Nations who developed the ‘International Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks’ (IPOA-Sharks) in 1999. Australia also produced its own plan in 2004, the ‘National Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks (Shark-Plan)’ (NPOA-Sharks).

Why are People Afraid of Sharks?

Public perceptions of sharks have been generally filled with fear, through the media sharks have received unfavourable attention through dramatic movies, books and news stories. Sharks are often portrayed as ferocious predators that are on the prowl for human flesh, which is clearly NOT true.

Contrary to popular belief human beings are NOT in the diet plan for sharks.

Most shark species (class Chondrichthyes, sub-class Elasmobranchii) are harmless to humans;  Port Jackson sharks (Heterodontus portusjacksoni) feed on urchins,  and the two largest sharks in world whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) and basking sharks (Cetorhinus maximus) feed on plankton.

Sharks like all species have a right to live.