Shark survey demands nets and culling to address crisis on north coast beaches
NSW beachgoers are demanding hardline action on the shark crisis on the state’s north coast, with recent attacks creating a surge in demand for nets and culling.
NSW
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News.
NSW beachgoers are demanding hardline government action on the shark attack crisis on the state’s north coast, with recent attacks creating a surge in demand for nets and even more drastic measures such as culling.
A nationwide survey of more than 4500 people found that shark nets were now the preferred option for 42 per cent of surfers and other beach users.
And almost one in four thought the best way to address the threat was to begin a full-blown shark cull.
Just 21 per cent believed the “non-threatening, marine-safe” alternatives favoured by the government were the way to go.
Coastalwatch spokesman Nick Carroll, brother of champion surfer Tom, said there was a dramatic shift in sentiment during last month’s survey period.
“On the 24th of October another surfer was attacked by a white shark up at Broken Head, and after that we watched the survey really change,” he said.
“There was a marked increase in the number of people signing on and saying yes, we want nets.
“As time goes on and there are more attacks, more and more people are shifting towards the idea that a shark meshing program in that area is the best solution.”
A DPI spokeswoman said the government was “continuing to work in consultation with the north coast community on the best way forward to help prevent shark interactions”.
“The NSW government does not believe a targeted cull of sharks is effective or supported by the community,” she said.
However, she confirmed procedures were in place to “euthanise” a shark after an attack or if a particular predator was deemed a danger to beachgoers.
Mr Carroll said it was clear from recent community forums on the north coast that surfers, holiday-makers and people in the local tourism industry felt they were being “held hostage” by the fear of shark attacks.
“This really is a crisis … it is a matter of urgency,” he said.
“It is a part of coastline that has been subject to an enormous quantity of shark activity over the past 2½ years and a lot of people are really on edge.”
Of the 4596 people polled for the survey, 66 per cent were in NSW. Two-thirds said they would now consider buying shark deterrent devices.
Former shark hunter Joel Merchant said the number of sharks was “beyond a joke”.
“You ask any recreational fisherman out there and they’ll tell you they can’t even land a mackerel because the sharks just eat them,” he said.
Pro-Palestine speaker’s visa under review after ‘celebration’ remark
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke is reviewing the visa of a US guest speaker who told a pro-Palestine vigil in Western Sydney that October 7 was a cause for “celebration”.
‘So, so devastating’: Mainstay deli shuts after 70 years
The closure of an iconic southwest Sydney deli has prompted its legion of customers to express how the institution – treasured like the Opera House – meant more than prosciutto and panini.