Our condolences go out to the family and friends of the shark bite victim from Dee Why on the weekend, and to the whole community more broadly who are understandably shaken. 

The incident took place at a netted beach, whilst shark nets were in place, so the media have taken a significant interest in this issue. As a result, Premier Chris Minns has announced a pause on plans for a trial shark net removal until a report is prepared by DPI.

Whilst we do question the logic of pausing a trial removal of shark nets, at a time when their ineffectiveness has just been demonstrated in the most tragic of ways, we respect that the Premier felt it was the "right thing to do".

Having said that, some of Chris Minns comments when announcing this pause are a huge cause for concern, and illustrative of the often erroneous and dangerous discourse around shark nets:

“I think it’s also worth reporting that Dee Why is a netted beach and was not going to be part of the trial, so I need to understand whether the shark got inside the nets or how the system’s operating, before we make big moves.”

This comment reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of his, and policy makers in general, of how shark nets operate.

Shark Nets are not a barrier in any way, shape or form. They are extremely small, you could even go so far as to say comically small, in comparison to all beaches at which they operate, including Dee Why / Long Reef beach. Shark nets are 150m long, and Dee Why / Long Reef spans over 1km. They are not designed to keep sharks "out", and the Premier should know "how the system is operating". The nets are so comically small because they were never intended to be a barrier. It is a shark fishing program. The result of tasking a Fisheries Department with a solution for beach safety, all the way in the 1930's when we understood nothing about sharks, comparative with today.

That level of misunderstanding from the Premier of New South Wales, about a program that is presented to the public as a 'safety measure' is a huge concern to us. 

That misunderstanding is then repeated and perpetuated through the media, time and time again. Media constant use incorrect imagery of Sydney harbour and/or Western Australian shark barriers (which do form an enclosure) when reporting about shark nets. This misleading visual reinforces an incorrect understanding in the community of what a shark net is not (a barrier or enclosure), and what it is (a fishing net).

We all need to do better. Elected representatives, policymakers, media, all of us. It is simply not acceptable that in 2025 we have such a widespread misunderstanding, at its most core level, of what a shark net is and how it works. Only then, can we have a proper dialogue about what role a 1930s beach fishing program serves (or does not serve) in a modern beach safety program. 

We understand the need for a formal investigation into the incident, and hope the outcome will provide much needed accurate information to those making the decisions about beach safety.