‘Shark nets protect politicians, they don’t protect swimmers’: Expert whacks $2 million program

An expert on shark safety claims there is “no scientific evidence” that proves shark nets protect swimmers from attacks.

With the beginning of spring and warmer weather, shark nets will once again go up around beaches in Sydney, while drones will also take to the skies to monitor the water for signs of sharks.

However, public policy expert from the University of Sydney, Chris Pepin-Neff, slammed the continued use of shark nets, claiming they are outdated compared to modern drones.

“I’ve been doing this for 20 years… and I can tell you shark nets don’t work, there’s no scientific evidence to suggest that they work,” Pepin-Neff told Today.

“We spend about $2 million a year on them, and that money can be spent on drones.

“Shark nets protect politicians, they don’t protect the public, with all due respect.”

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There have been two fatal shark attacks in Sydney in the last 12 months.

Father Mercury Psillakis was killed at Dee Why Beach last September and 12-year-old schoolboy Nico Antic died days after he was mauled near Shark Beach in Vaucluse in January.

Sydney woman Leah Stewart was also attacked by a great white shark close to the shore on Coogee Beach in June.

She survived after fighting off the shark and thanks to the quick actions of bystanders, but lost an arm and suffered other serious injuries.

Pepin-Neff said shark nets can actually cause more problems than they solve, because they are just regular fishing nets.

This means fish and other marine life can get caught in them, which can attract sharks closer to the shore.

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“The last thing I’d do is put a gill net in front of the flags,” Pepin-Neff said, claiming there had been 35 shark incidents at beaches that had shark nets nearby.

“There was a shark net in that terrible incident at Dee Why… constantly the shark nets are in the water when the shark attacks are happening, so the shark nets are not stopping the shark attacks.”

Pepin-Neff believes the money spent on erecting shark nets around Sydney beaches should be spent on improving and supporting the Shark Smart drone program.

This sees drones fly above beaches, giving them a clear view of where sharks may be and allowing quick messages to be sent to the shore to help protect swimmers.

The NSW government lifted a ban on drone use at Coogee Beach after the shark attack on Stewart.

The ban was in place due to the beach’s proximity to Sydney Airport.

Pepin-Neff believes the drone program will be so successful, that shark nets soon could be a thing of the past.

“The drones are only going to prove - this might be the last year of shark nets - because the drones are going to prove that shark nets don’t work,” Pepin-Neff said.