Shark nets ‘don’t actually do anything’. Why are we using them?

Queensland has been culling sharks with nets for more than 60 years.

More than 1600 animals were caught in nets and drum lines in Queensland last year. Comparatively, 176 target sharks were killed last year. 217 target sharks have been killed so far this year.

“We’re still experiencing shark bites, and we’re actually still seeing an increase in shark bites, so the idea that culling these sharks is somehow going to reduce the risk doesn’t really align with what we’ve been doing for 60 years,” Raoult says.

He says about 40 percent of sharks caught in nets go out after reaching the beach.

“So the sharks were probably already close to humans before they were captured.”

18 drum lines were deployed at Woorim Beach at the time of this year’s tragedy. They had just been fed two days ago.

“They had drum lines in there, they couldn’t stop the shark bite,” Raoult says.

The nets also capture a large number of “non-target species,” Raoult says.

“Non-target shark species and other marine animals are removed from equipment wherever possible and released alive,” a Department for Primary Industries spokesman said.

But Raoult still says many people died.

There’s also a risk that sharks may gravitate towards other items caught, he says.

“You’ll see stingrays or things like that with bite marks,” he says. “In these cases, there’s definitely the potential to attract other things there that wouldn’t otherwise be there.”

Raoult says newer technologies used in NSW, such as SMART or Catch Alert drum lines, are “essentially non-lethal”.

“Once the shark catches the bait, it sends a ping via satellite directly to the operator’s phone for those drum lines, and within about 20 or 30 minutes it has to physically be on that drum line,” he says.

The shark is then pulled out to sea and, in most cases, tagged so it can be tracked, Raoult says.

This tagging allows operators to be alerted when sharks approach popular beaches; This means they can warn beachgoers about the risk.

While the “world’s first system” has the advantage of protection, Raoult stressed the NSW government operates this way primarily because it keeps beachgoers safe.

Following a significant number of “shark bites” in 2015, the government made “a very clear decision to become a world leader in shark management,” says Raoult.

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While the immediate cost of adopting new technologies is large, Raoult says the costs of new technologies like drones could be similar to recent investments and ongoing maintenance costs of our current systems.

“If you’re going to spend more money, I’d say the vast majority of scientists familiar with sharks would say it’s better spent elsewhere,” he says.

Drones can also be used to identify risks to swimmers, such as lacerations, thus presenting a “double whammy,” Raoult says.

“You have an advantage in terms of shark safety, but you also potentially reduce the risk to beach users,” he says. “Sharks or no sharks, drones are an easy win in my eyes from a beach safety perspective.”

Raoult says other options for swimmer safety, such as ocean pools and swimming pools, are great but don’t suit Queensland’s coastline.

This was also acknowledged in the government-commissioned report; This report stated that only two beaches in North Queensland were suitable and the hearing did not proceed because the local government had resisted.

“I think ocean pools are great, but some people may not like ocean pools,” Raoult says.

“This is where shark bite mitigation gets pretty complicated, because you can provide 100 percent safe situations and people may not want to be in those conditions, right?

“The big question mark is how can we help people who are putting themselves at risk — surfers, ocean swimmers — and find ways to reduce the risk of shark bites?”

Raoult says significant progress has been made in solutions for surfers, such as electric deterrent devices. These devices attach to the bottom of the surfboard and send an electric current that is annoying to sharks and can reduce the risk of being bitten by approximately 60 percent.

Other methods, such as bite-resistant diving suits, have also been well tested in trials.

Raoult called for greater investment in these new products and tighter regulation to prevent “snake oil salesmen”.

If the government wants to improve security, Raoult says, it needs to accept that shark nets “probably won’t do anything” and look to other options.

He acknowledged that the government may be hesitant to remove nets because they could be framed by political rivals, “but the reality is that people are getting bitten by nets and drum ropes on beaches”.

“I think governments will look a lot stronger if they advocate for moving to these more modern methods that we have good evidence to show that should work and provide people with additional security,” he said.

A government-commissioned KPMG report last year recommended phasing out shark nets and traditional drum lines. Crisafulli’s government instead invested $88 million over four years in the province’s shark management plan, including the addition of more shark nets.

Marine science professor Colin Simpfendorfer, who served as a board member advising the program for nearly 10 years, quietly resigned following the announcement.

Raoult says this resignation is “a very good way to gauge how the community will react to increasing shark nets.”

“It’s not supported by science,” he says. “I think at the core of this we want to increase people’s enjoyment of the ocean without the risk of being bitten by a shark.”

“This perception that we need to kill sharks is the only solution to doing so; it doesn’t make sense. It’s not supported by evidence, and so we need to do better, especially to protect human lives.”

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