The NSW Government is prioritising the safety of beachgoers this summer while enhancing protections for marine life with the release of the 2024-25 Shark Management Program.
This initiative aims to balance community expectations with effective shark management strategies.
Key Measures and Initiatives:
- Early Removal of Shark Nets: Shark nets will be removed one month earlier, on 31 March 2025, to address increased turtle activity in April.
- Increased Net Inspections: Contractors will inspect nets every 2nd day during March, instead of every 3rd day.
- Enhanced Drone Surveillance: Surf Life Saving NSW (SLS) will increase drone surveillance over nets during March to monitor for turtles on non-inspection days.
- Trial of Lighted Nets: Lights will be added to nets during February and March to deter turtles and prevent entanglement.
- Acoustic Warning Devices: Nets will continue to be equipped with dolphin pingers and whale alarms to reduce risks to marine mammals.
The $21.5 million program covers 25 local government areas from Tweed to Bega, aiming to reduce shark interactions while minimising impacts on other marine life.
Techniques for the 2024-25 season include:
- Drone Surveillance Program: Partnering with Surf Life Saving NSW, 50 drones will be used for surveillance.
- Tagged Shark Listening Stations: 37 stations along the NSW coast will operate year-round.
- SMART Drumlines: 305 SMART drumlines across 19 LGAs will be in use all year.
- Shark Nets: Nets will be deployed at 51 beaches across eight LGAs from 1 September 2024 to 31 March 2025.
- Funding for Surfing NSW: $500,000 allocated for mitigation support, including trauma response kits, drones, and training.
- SharkSmart Community Education Program: Includes shark and social research.
In the 2023-24 season, 400 drone pilots from Surf Life Saving NSW were trained, flying over 36,000 flights and observing 362 sharks. SMART drumlines effectively caught, tagged, and released over 413 target sharks, such as white, tiger, and bull sharks, providing real-time data through 37 coastal listening stations.
To date, over 2,000 target sharks have been tagged and monitored, ensuring beachgoers’ safety while protecting marine life.
