Hey everyone, hope that your holiday season has been enjoyable and not too hectic.
I got a response from Scott Dalton, the Shark Meshing Program Supervisor for NSW DPI Fisheries. He explained that Shark Nets are STILL being used on Newcastle beaches as per the 19th Sept 2021 government media release statement from Adam Marshall, Agricultural Minister: "We will also continue the deployment of shark nets as part of the Shark Meshing Program in the Greater Sydney Region while we measure the success of the expanded technology-led solutions".
He also explained that coastal LGAs were consulted on their preferences for Shark mitigation.
Armed with this information I believe the main questions to reply with now are:
1. How long are they going to test these new technologies until the Shark Nets are removed?
2. Who represented Newcastle LGA and their preferences for shark mitigation?
Thanks for supporting the removal of Shark Nets in Newcastle, getting them removed ASAP is fundamental to keeping our marine species protected.
Jules Williams
The full email has been copied to a public google document (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kAaKGIatCaNUNuWhiLwPwsoEaKjpPsCZQpfocV4dWeI/edit?usp=drivesdk for those interested in his complete response.