In the coming months, the Minns Government is due to make a decision about the use of shark nets at NSW beaches, including Newcastle.

Tell Tim Crakanthorp, our State Member of Parliament for Newcastle that you want the Nets Out Now.

Shark nets give no benefit to public safety, but they do indiscriminately kill marine wildlife.

Shark nets are only 150m long, and located 500m from the beach. There's one net installed at each of Newcastle's six patrolled beaches from September until April each year. Sharks swim over, under and around these nets.

Over 90% of what's caught in shark nets is marine life that poses no harm to humans. The nets trap and kill hundreds of turtles, dolphins, rays and other marine life. Some of these creatures are threatened and endangered species. 

NSW has been testing modern shark management technologies for years and they’ve proven to be extremely effective.

Drones are now used to identify dangerous sharks and SMART drumlines catch and release tagged sharks which can be picked up on the shark listening stations in order to alert beach patrols of their presence.

The eight coastal councils that still use shark nets were asked to respond to the NSW Annual Shark Management Survey.

Almost all of them have voted against shark nets:

   Central Coast 

   Northern Beaches 

   Waverly

   Sutherland

   Wollongong

Shamefully, Newcastle and Lake Macquarie voted to sit on their hands and stay silent.

  Newcastle

  Lake Macquarie

Randwick Council is due to make their decision in late February.

In 2023 and again this year in January, I urged Newcastle Councillors to tell the State Government that we don’t support shark nets. Both times they opted to send no response.

Councillors won't listen, but maybe our Newcastle State MP will.

Our marine life needs you to take action today. 

Please sign our petition.