Conservation groups call to remove shark nets harmful on marine wildlife, not protecting people from sharks

The New South Wales’ Shark Summit launched on Monday has successfully gained support from several, large conservation groups in Australia to find non-lethal technologies that will protect people from sharks as well as the marine wildlife. Conservation groups have recently pushed for the removal of the shark nets that were found not effective to stop sharks and harmful on other marine species.

The groups said that the shark nets were not able to serve as protective barriers to stop sharks from reaching shallow waters, instead it have been harmful to whales, dolphins and turtles that were caught on the nets. The presence of shark nets was described by the NoSharkCull NSW as a “false sense of security.”

“Sharks have been sighted between the nets and the beach; they can easily swim under or around the nets,” said NoSharkCull Chairperson Sharnie Connell. However, the community is expecting the NSW government to invest in new technologies that will alert people to the presence of sharks on nearby oceans, without killing the animals.

In the Shark Summit, Connell said that the independent review and consultation have been indicating the first step of avoiding the idea of killing sharks to protect humans. Together with the NoSharkCull, groups that have welcomed the summit include the Humane Society International, the Australian Marine Conservation Society, SEA LIFE Trust, Sea Shepherd Australia, the Australian Professional Ocean Lifeguard Association and the Australian Aerial Patrol.

Tooni Mahto, from the Australian Marine Conservation Society, said that killing sharks, which are currently recognised as among the most threatened group of species, “is simply not the answer” to protect people. In addition, the director of Humane Society International, Michael Kennedy, commends the NSW government for its effort to research non-lethal alternatives to the current shark nets.

"Our groups look forward to continuing discussions with the NSW Government on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of supporters that we represent,” Mahto said. Conservation groups expect further consultation on the use of non-lethal technologies and beach safety components to replace lethal shark nets in the future, she added.

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