NSW Government releases its 2024/25 Shark Management Program

The NSW Government has released its 2024-25 Shark Management Program which prioritises the safety of beach goers while increasing protection for marine life.

The Government will further engage with local councils on shark management with a focus on the future use of shark nets, and the exploration of local decision making on the removal or use of nets.

The Program released today includes a suite of new measures to be trialled, which will increase protections for marine life whilst shark nets remain in use, including:

• Removing shark nets one month earlier, on 31st March 2025, to respond to increased turtle activity in April.

• Increasing the frequency of net inspections by contractors during March from every 3rd day to every 2nd day.

• SLS drone surveillance increased over nets during March to scout for turtles on the days contractors aren’t inspecting

• Trial of lights on nets to deter turtles and prevent their entanglement during February and March.

Shark nets across NSW are also fitted with acoustic warning devices, such as dolphin pingers and whale alarms, to deter and minimise the risks to those marine mammals.

The $21.5 million Shark Management Program for 2024-25 is designed to protect the safety of beach users from across 25 local government areas from Tweed to Bega, by reducing interactions with sharks, whilst minimising the impact on other marine life.

A range of techniques will be used in 2024-25 to achieve this objective, such as:

• Drone surveillance program using 50 drones, partnering with Surf Life Saving NSW

• 37 tagged shark listening stations, all year round along the NSW coast

• 305 SMART (Shark-Management-Alert-in-Real-Time) drumlines across 19 LGAs, all year

• Shark nets at 51 beaches across eight LGAs, 1st September 2024 to 31st March 2025

• Funding Surfing NSW $500,000 to provide mitigation support and services including trauma response kits, drones and training

• SharkSmart community education program, including shark and social research.

Over the 2023-24 season 400 drone pilots for Surf Life Saving NSW were trained, who flew more than 36,000 flights across nearly 10,000 hours. Through this use of drones 362 sharks were observed.

SMART drumlines have also been used as an effective tool to keep swimmers safe on New South Wales Beaches, allowing over 413 target sharks such as white, tiger and bull sharks, to be caught, tagged and released last year.

Once tagged, the state’s 37 coastal tagged shark listening stations can track these sharks near the beaches where the device is based – with this information available to anyone with the SharkSmart app, website of on X (Twitter).

Over 2,000 target sharks have been tagged over the life of the program, and are monitored by listening stations.

NSW Minister for Agriculture Tara Moriarty noted “The NSW Government’s priority is the safety of beach goers, at the same time we are committed to protecting our states marine life.

“We will be working closely with local governments, SLSNSW and Surfing NSW over this season to ensure the future of this program works for the communities it operates in.

“Importantly, this year we have responded to community feedback and taken significant steps to increase the program’s safeguards for marine animals.

“As we map the future of this program we will listen to local communities, and consider the best available evidence to ensure we are striking the right balance at our beaches.”

For more information visit www.sharksmart.nsw.gov.au 

Image top: Dolphin caught in shark net. Credit: Action for Dolphins; image above turtle caught in shark net