A submerged barrier that protects swimmers from shark attacks
For other uses, see Shark net (disambiguation).
A shark net is a submerged section of gillnets placed at beaches designed to intercept large marine animals including sharks, with the aim to reduce the likelihood of shark attacks on swimmers. Shark nets used are gillnets which is a wall of netting that hangs in the water and captures the marine animals by entanglement, however only around 10% of catch is the intended target shark species.[1][2] The nets in Queensland, Australia, are typically 186m long, set at a depth of 6m, have a mesh size of 500mm and are designed to catch sharks longer than 2m in length.[3] The nets in New South Wales, Australia, are typically 150m long, set on the sea floor, extending approximately 6m up the water column, are designed to catch sharks longer than 2m in length.[4] Shark nets do not create an exclusion zone between sharks and humans, and are not to be confused with shark barriers.
Shark nets do not offer complete protection but work on the principle of "fewer sharks, fewer attacks". They aim to reduce occurrence via shark mortality. Shark nets such as those in New South Wales are designed to entangle and capture sharks that pass near them.[5] Reducing the local shark populations reduces the chance of an attack. Historical shark attack figures suggest that the use of shark nets and drumlines does markedly reduce the incidence of shark attack when implemented on a regular and consistent basis.[6][7][8] However a 2019 study argued this conclusion overlooks key factors.[9] The large mesh size of the nets is designed specifically to capture sharks and prevent their escape until eventually, they drown. Due to boating activity, the nets also float 4 metres or more below the surface and do not connect with the shoreline (excluding Hong Kong's shark barrier nets) thus allowing sharks the opportunity to swim over and around nets. Shark nets can cost A$1 million or A$20,000 per beach per year.[10]
Shark nets have been criticized by environmentalists, conservationists and animal rights activists — they say shark nets are unethical and harm the marine ecosystem.[11][12][5][13][14][15] They also argue there is no science showing that nets make the ocean safer for people.[5]
^Fisheries, NOAA. "Gillnets: Fishing Gear and Risks to Protected Species :: NOAA Fisheries". Retrieved 22 April 2017.
^"Council calls for removal of shark nets on the Northern Beaches". 28 April 2021. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
^"Shark control equipment and locations". Retrieved 22 April 2017.
^"Shark Nets - SharkSmart - NSW Government". 2 August 2021. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
^ abcForrest, Alice (2014-09-10). "Shark Nets in Australia – What Are They and How Do They Work?". sealifetrust.org. Retrieved October 17, 2018.
^"Can governments protect people from killer sharks?". ABC News. 22 December 2013. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
^Cite error: The named reference Curtis-2012 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference SAJS was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Gibbs, Leah; Fetterplace, Lachlan; Rees, Matthew; Hanich, Quentin (2 December 2019). "Effects and effectiveness of lethal shark hazard management: The Shark Meshing (Bather Protection) Program, NSW, Australia". People and Nature. 2: 189–203. doi:10.1002/pan3.10063. S2CID 213735780.
^Cite error: The named reference NSWGOV was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Pepin-Neff, Christopher (12 October 2011). "The Untold Story of Shark Nets in Australia". theconversation.com. Retrieved October 17, 2018.
^Mackenzie, Bruce (August 4, 2018). "Sydney Shark Nets Set to Stay Despite Drumline Success". swellnet.com. Retrieved October 17, 2018.
^Morris, Jessica (December 8, 2016). "Shark Nets – Death Traps For Marine Animals". hsi.org.au. Retrieved October 17, 2018.
^Eddie, Rachel (January 9, 2018). "Threat to Cut Shark Nets if Government Fails to Act". thenewdaily.com. Retrieved October 17, 2018.
^"Shark Culling". marineconservation.org.au. Retrieved October 17, 2018.
A sharknet is a submerged section of gillnets placed at beaches designed to intercept large marine animals including sharks, with the aim to reduce the...
tiger shark, blue shark, great white shark, mako shark, thresher shark, and hammerhead shark. Sharks are caught by humans for shark meat or shark fin soup...
The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is a slow-moving, filter-feeding carpet shark and the largest known extant fish species. The largest confirmed individual...
A shark attack is an attack on a human by a shark. Every year, around 80 unprovoked attacks are reported worldwide. Despite their rarity, many people...
and beauty. SharkNinja has grown from less than $250 million in net sales for the 12 months ended March 31, 2008 to over $3.7 billion in net sales for the...
fatal shark attacks in Australia. The Australian Shark-Incident Database has recorded that between 1791 and April 2018 there were 237 fatal shark attacks...
to have 12 sharks; show to start streaming from this date". 22 December 2023. "Shark Tank India Season 3: List of All 12 Judges & Their Net Worths". 19...
Shark cage diving is underwater diving or snorkeling where the observer remains inside a protective cage designed to prevent sharks from making contact...
sharks use for mating Fish anatomy – generic description of fish anatomy Drum lines Sharknet – submerged net placed around beaches to reduce shark attacks...
range of shark attack prevention techniques employed to reduce the risk of shark attack and keep people safe. They include removing sharks by various...
The 2010 Sharm El Sheikh shark attacks were a series of attacks by sharks on swimmers off the Red Sea resort of Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. On 1 December 2010...
Shark Tank is an American business reality television series that premiered on August 9, 2009, on ABC. The show is the American franchise of the international...
The Drowner, Grace and The Rip, as well as a prize-winning memoir, The SharkNet, and the non-fiction Walking Ella. Fortune won the fiction category of...
founder and CEO of OYO Rooms. He has also appeared in Shark Tank India (season 3) since 2024. Agarwal's net worth is estimated to be around ₹16,000 crore as...
of sharks account for the vast majority of fatal attacks on humans: the bull shark, tiger shark, oceanic whitetip shark and the great white shark. In...
Jack (2001), Do Or Die (2001), Dirty Deeds (2002) and the TV Movie The SharkNet (2003). McInnes featured in the lead role in Look Both Ways (2005), directed...
basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus) is the second-largest living shark and fish, after the whale shark. It is one of three plankton-eating shark species...
Shark culling is the deliberate killing of sharks by government authorities, usually in response to one or more shark attacks. The term "shark control"...
The goblin shark (Mitsukurina owstoni) is a rare species of deep-sea shark. Sometimes called a "living fossil", it is the only extant representative of...
second season of Shark Tank India aired from 2 January 2023 to 13 March 2023. Any five of the following six sharks (or all six sharks in episodes 48-50)...
white shark (Carcharodon carcharias), also known as the white shark, white pointer, or simply great white, is a species of large mackerel shark which...
appearances in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) under the ring name Shark Boy. Prior to his appearances in TNA, Roll competed on the independent scene...
Middleton Beach shark barrier, also referred to as the Albany shark barrier and the Ellen Cove shark barrier, is a shark barrier to prevent sharks entering the...
The frilled shark (Chlamydoselachus anguineus), also known as the lizard shark, is one of the two extant species of shark in the family Chlamydoselachidae...
Logie Award for Most Outstanding Actor in 2004 for the ABC miniseries The SharkNet. Other television roles include in Supernova, Tangle, Serangoon Road,...
Geography of Hong Kong Conservation in Hong Kong List of places in Hong Kong Sharknet Swimming shed "Four beaches in Tsuen Wan to reopen with improved water...