Shark nets failing to keep Hunter beaches safe

The shark nets located off the beach did little to prevent the two sharks from posing a potential threat to swimmers.

The beach was closed on Saturday after a Department of Primary Industries drone spotted a Great White lurking near the breakers.

On Sunday, a drone helped detect what is believed to have been a bull shark swimming in and out of the breakers shortly after the beach was opened.

Nobbys is among 10 beaches between Stockton and Shelly Beach that have shark nets deployed between September and April.

The nets are 150 metres long by 6 metres deep, with a mesh size of 60cm. They are set below the surface in about 10 to 12 metres of water, within 500 metres of the shore.

While the nets are designed to prevent Great White, Tiger and Bull shark attacks, Department of Primary Industries data shows they take an horrendous toll on non-target species.

NSW Department of Primary Industries data revealed a total of 79 animals were caught in the nets off Hunter beaches between September 2022 and April 2023.

Only eight, or 10 per cent, were Great White and Tiger sharks.

The remainder were non-target species including critically endangered grey nurse sharks, leatherback, loggerhead and green turtles, and bottlenose and common dolphins.

Humane Society International marine biologist Lawrence Chlebeck the presence of trapped species caught in the nets attracted rather than deterred the target species.

"These are exactly the sort of things that sharks are attracted to," Dr Chlebeck said.

Humane Society International and Surfrider Foundation are leading a campaign to replace shark nets with technology-based solutions and improved education.

Dr Chlebeck said the fact that a drone spotted the sharks at Nobbys last weekend proved new technology was more effective than netting.

"These are the tools (drones) that are saving lives; shark nets are not saving lives," he said.

"Keeping people out of the water in dangerous situations is directly saving human lives and I'm very happy that these drones are being used effectively."

He said improved education was particularly important in areas such as Lake Macquarie and Sydney Harbour where shark mitigation measures are not in place.

Sydney woman Lauren O'Neill is the latest victim of a shark attack in Sydney harbour.

The 29-year-old suffered serious leg injuries when she was attacked by a suspected bull shark while swimming at Elizabeth Bay on Monday.

"Swimming in the harbour at night is not a great idea. We still have a lot of work to do when it comes to community education," Dr Chlebeck said.

Surfrider Foundation Newcastle branch president Nick Klynsmith said shark nets created an illusion of beach safety.

"There are literally nets up at the moment but the sharks got in anyway," he said.

Surfrider has called for a greater investment in surveillance, detection sensors, electronic shock devices and increased public education.

"There will always be people who want them but it's a false sense of security."

NSW agriculture minister Tara Moriarty said the state government was assessing other options to keep swimmers safe in the future.

She said using the "full suite" of measures - including a mix of modern and traditional technologies - would help the government gather data to make more informed decisions about changes for coming years.

"Nets are only set from September to April to avoid the majority of the whale migration season and are fitted with acoustic devices designed to deter marine mammals from interacting with them," she said.

Premier Chris Minns said on Monday he was not confident emerging shark protection technology was a good enough replacement for nets, considering they needed to be rolled out in the coming weeks.

"It's a good ambition to remove shark nets ... but we've got a ways to go when it comes to that shark detection technology," he said.