Humane World for Animals has applauded decisions by three Sydney Councils to take part in a trial removal of one shark net from each of their respective Local Government Areas this summer (1 September 2025 – 31 March 2026).
Central Coast, Northern Beaches and Waverley Councils each accepted the invitation to trial shark net removal from one beach per council from NSW Minister for Agriculture, Tara Moriarty.
The councils have long called for the removal of shark nets from all their beaches to make them safer for swimmers and marine wildlife.
Following an extension to Minister Moriarty's deadline of 22 August, Central Coast Council was the last of the three councils to officially confirm their stance on the matter in a General Meeting of Council on Tuesday, 26 August, rounding out a chorus from the trio that the removal of shark nets is welcomed.
"We congratulate Central Coast, Northern Beaches and Waverley Councils for progressing this issue which will benefit both people and wildlife," said Humane World for Animals marine biologist, Lawrence Chlebeck. "We are encouraged that Minister Moriarty is heeding the call of the people of Sydney and taking this practical and important first step toward the removal of shark nets for good".
Shark nets have been deployed at ocean beaches between Newcastle and Wollongong every summer since the 1930s, causing incalculable harm to marine wildlife with no positive effect on the safety of swimmers at those beaches.
Conversely, both data and imagery obtained under Freedom of Information applications proves that shark nets attract sharks, thereby increasing the risk of shark bites.
"Shark nets are like deploying a ping pong net on a football pitch," said Mr Chlebeck. "At only 150m in length and unfurled on beaches that are often several kilometres long, shark nets don't offer swimmer protection—they simply entangle our treasured whales, dolphins and turtles and, in doing so, ring a dinner bell for sharks to come nearer to shore".
