A marine conservationist is again calling for drones to replace shark nets at NSW beaches after a vulnerable species was found dead in a mesh net on the north coast.
The shark net trial deployed across five north coast beaches in February captured 26 marine animals including one "target" bull shark and two great hammerhead sharks - which are listed as vulnerable species by the NSW government
Dean Jefferys is furious the government is acting against its own laws which protect the great hammerhead.
"Shark nets don't work and instead continue to kill non-targeted, listed and vulnerable species," Mr Jefferys told AAP in a statement.
"Shark nets do not offer the safety from sharks they profess and actually may make a shark encounter more likely as they give a false sense of security."
The conservationist wants the government to consider alternative technologies, including drones, which would provide real-time observations and warnings.
Data released by the NSW government as part of its second shark net trial shows that of the 26 animals caught in February, 10 were dead - including a bottlenose dolphin - while the remaining 16 were released alive.
The second trial used a different net design to try and reduce by-catch after the first trial - which ran from early December 2016 to late May 2017 - caught 275 animals, nine of which were target sharks, according to the Department of Primary Industries.
Primary Industries Minister Niall Blair said the government would not be terminating the trial because it was committed to testing and trialling a range of technologies.
"To terminate the trial at this stage will prevent informed decisions about the use of mesh nets for mitigating the risks of shark-human interactions," Mr Blair told AAP in a statement on Friday.
Humane Society International marine scientist Jessica Morris backed calls for non-lethal alternatives to nets including drones.
Share
