'Walls of death': Illawarra shark nets pulled up, critics say keep them out

They say there's no good reason to kill hundreds of other animals which are caught in the nets, when every beach that has nets also has SMART drum lines and drones in use to catch or spot sharks.

International animal welfare group Humane Society International has used Freedom of Information laws to obtain the catch figures - and pictures - from the 2023-24 season.

The Department of Primary Industry (DPI) numbers tell a familiar story - 93 per cent of animals caught in the nets are not the three target shark species, and most of them are found dead.

On Illawarra beaches - Coledale, Austinmer, Thirroul, North Wollongong, City Beach, Garie and Wattamolla - 28 non-target animals were caught, with 26 found dead.

HSI campaigner and biologist Lawrence Chlebeck, said this was "undefendable".

"Shark nets off Wollongong and the Royal National Park beaches caught an unacceptable amount of non-target species," he said.

"Non-target animals killed by the shark nets included a dolphin, two green turtles and a leatherback turtle. The nets also managed to entangle a grey nurse shark - a critically endangered species.

"The fact that access to Garie Beach is closed, yet nets still exist off its waters, makes this wildlife cost even more unacceptable and undefendable."

The numbers are usually released by the NSW DPI in July but HSI obtained them early to fuel debate before the next meshing season begins.

HSI has been vocal in its campaign against the nets, which were dubbed "walls of death" by a Liberal backbencher, last year saying the Minns Government should "stop pretending the shark nets benefit public safety".

That was after the Sydney nets - Palm Beach to Cronulla - didn't catch a single target shark, just "a mounting toll of entangled and drowned protected and unintended species".

He said NSW had the best-funded and most advanced shark risk strategy in the world apart from the nets.

"Year after year nine out of 10 of the animals caught in the nets are non-target species, and without providing any benefit to public safety," he said.

"It's why NSW beachside communities are fed up with these wildlife death traps.

"The Minns Government inherited this outdated technology that has been used since the 1930s. But they don't need to stick with it. There has been over $85 million committed to modern shark management which is now fully operational on our beaches and much more effective at keeping us safe."

Australian Marine Conservation Society scientist Dr Leonardo Guida said alternatives were already in place.

"There are SMART drumlines and drones in use at every beach where there is a net," he said.