Shark net removal trial canned for this year

The proposed trial of shark net removal at three beaches, including one on the Central Coast, will not happen this year following a fatality at Long Reef Beach on Saturday, September 6.

Emergency services were called to the beach shortly after 10am on September 6 after reports that a man had suffered critical injuries in the surf.

He was brought to shore but died at the scene.

Police closed nearby beaches and recovered two sections of a surfboard for expert analysis.

The next day, Premier Chris Minns announced a pause on the shark net trial while the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) investigates the incident.

But on September 9, Minns said the trial would not go ahead this year at all.

Minister for Agriculture Tara Moriarty confirmed government biologists had determined a White Shark, approximately 3.4m-3.6m long, was likely responsible.

She said extra SMART drumlines had been deployed between Dee Why and Long Reef, and Surf Life Saving NSW had added drone and helicopter patrols in response, where the usual SLS drone program for Spring would have started on September 27.

“Our thoughts are with Mercury Psillakis, his wife and family, plus the first responders,” Moriarty said.

The fatality occurred in an area where shark nets were already in place, the irony of which has not gone unnoticed.

Nets had been installed six days earlier as part of DPI’s seasonal program, a move that had already stirred political tension.

“Whether a beach is netted or not, they can still be extremely dangerous,”

Shadow Minister for the Central Coast Adam Crouch.

He confirmed it does not change the position of Central Coast Council to proceed with a trial removal, which he supports.

Council extended condolences and reaffirmed it would continue to work with DPI on shark management.

“We owe it to the family and the community to look at what technology can be used across all of our beaches, to help keep beachgoers safe,” Councillor Jared Wright said.

Along with expressing sympathy during this sad and tragic time, Sea Shepherd Australia’s Jonathan Clark urged continued investment in non-lethal methods.

“We believe in protecting ocean users with the best available alternatives backed by science and technology, and support the continuation of the net removal trial,” he said.

Marine Wildlife Rescue NSW highlighted the broader context.

“We are only one species on this planet, and we have to learn to live with nature by evaluating the risks,” spokesperson Ronny Ling said.

“We do not own the ocean.”

On the Central Coast, local surfers echoed the perspective.

Anita Gluyas of Umina Beach is a music teacher and keen surfer.

“As surfers, we are very aware that we share the sea with other marine life in the same way that I acknowledge the risk of getting into a car,” she said.

Surfer and major events producer Nathaniel Holmes said that while the recent fatality was deeply tragic, it should not be used as justification to pause the removal of shark nets.

Research continues into personal deterrents.

A Flinders University study found electrode stickers placed under surfboards reduced White Shark interactions by 56%, while Chillax Wax reduced them by 14%.

Another study showed lightweight fabrics bonded to wetsuits increased resistance to bites and had potential for reducing blood loss – the leading cause of fatality from shark-related injury.

Meanwhile, broader injury data shows shark bites remain statistically rare.

iSelect analysis found only 270 marine animal-related hospitalisations, including but not limited to sharks, in 2023-24, which represented just 0.8% of animal injury cases.

This compares with 10,345 dog-related hospitalisations in the same period.

Ivona Rose