Case study of
#00070 Traditional shark meshing (gillnets) to reduce local numbers of large sharks
New South Wales, Australia (Newcastle to Wollongong)
#00067
Implementer
NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD)
Timeline
Since Jan 1, 1937
Location
Description
Australia's oldest beach shark program, operating continuously since 1937. For the 2025–26 season, bottom-set gillnets were deployed at 51 beaches across 8 local government areas between Newcastle and Wollongong (1 September 2025–31 March 2026). The nets are gillnets, not enclosures: they cover only a short stretch and sharks can pass around, over, and under them. Several Sydney beaches removed nets from 2023 onward in favour of drones and SMART drumlines, reflecting a documented shift in program composition.
Metrics
5Funding
Lessons learned
- Mesh nets are a culling device, not a barrier — they neither enclose the beach nor stop sharks entering, meaning replicators should not expect exclusion-style protection.
- Bycatch is severe and politically contentious: in at least one recent NSW season, 47 turtles and 11 dolphins/whales were killed, with non-target animals comprising over 90% of catch — replicators must plan for regulatory and community pushback.
- Bite-reduction benefit cannot be cleanly separated from improved first aid and changing swimmer behaviour; any evaluation framework must account for these confounders.
Documented Jun 26, 2026