New South Wales (NSW) recently announced it will remove its shark nets a month earlier than planned this year due to the increased migration of turtles. The government would also review the data across the various shark management strategies this past summer to prioritise solutions that are both effective and environmentally responsible for the next season.  

Shark nets were introduced by New South Wales Fisheries in the early 1990s following a series of attacks. These nets, which have been in place at 51 beaches from Newcastle to Wollongong, did lead to a reduction in attacks at the time, but can also have unintended impacts on other marine species. The nets can trap not only sharks but also marine life like dolphins, turtles and ray, and in the last season alone 15 tiger sharks and 240 non-target species have been caught in the nets.  

Marine experts and conservationists have long argued that modern alternatives such as drumlines, listening stations and drones offer a more effective way to protect swimmers without harming other marine animals.   

In a related development last December, South Australia introduced protections for endangered and critically endangered shark and ray species through a fishing ban prohibiting the capture of several vulnerable species within the state’s waters.   

It focuses on species like the Whitefin Swellshark, the Grey Nurse shark, the Oceanic Whitetip shark, and the Green Sawfish, as well as other endangered species including the Basking Shark and the Greeneye Spurdog.  

The initiative, which will extend to both recreational and commercial fishing practices, aims to curb overfishing and protect species whose populations have dwindled due to habitat destruction and unsustainable fishing methods.  

As marine species face the threat of mesh nets and overfishing, legislation changes like these are crucial in protecting endangered marine life, thereby keeping ecosystems balanced and preserving the health of our oceans.