The NSW Government will continue the Shark Management Program in its current form for the upcoming summer swimming season.
The Shark Management Program is an effective mitigation program, with a mix of traditional and modern technologies along the NSW coastline.
Last year was the first summer where SMART drumlines, drones and tagged shark listening stations were deployed at beaches which also have shark nets.
Continuing the full suite of measures for the 2023-24 season will help us gather further data to make better informed decisions about possible changes for the following (2024-25) season.
The shark meshing program is actively managed to minimise the impact on marine animals while protecting swimmers at some of NSW’s most popular beaches.
The safety of beachgoers is the Government’s number one priority.
The NSW Shark Management Program is the largest program of its kind in the world, including:
- Nets at 51 beaches across 8 LGAs between Newcastle and Wollongong from 1 September to 30 April each year
- 305 SMART drumlines across the 19 LGAs, including 138 in LGAs with nets
- 37 tagged shark listening stations, including 13 in LGAs with nets
- Surveillance drone patrols at the current 50 beaches across 25 LGAs, including 15 in LGAs with nets
For more information on the NSW Government’s Shark Management Program, visit Sharksmart.
Minister for Agriculture, Regional NSW and Western NSW Tara Moriarty said:
“We will continue to work with Councils to assess options for different strategies in future, but for this summer we are sticking with the complement of nets, SMART drumlines, drones and listening stations.
“Nets are only set from September to April to avoid the majority of the whale migration season and are fitted with acoustic devices designed to deter marine mammals from interacting with them.
“The NSW Government will continue to listen to coastal councils and their communities to ensure that local preferences are balanced against effective, evidence-based shark mitigation for beachgoers.”
