Maroubra is the perfect case study on shark nets, fear mongering, and a new path forward

When it comes to the long-running debate over shark nets in New South Wales, no beach captures the contradictions, confusion, and conflict quite like Maroubra.

Maroubra is the perfect case study: a beach where shark nets have failed time and time again, where drones and other modern alternatives now offer real-time safety, but where feelings and emotions are being allowed to shout louder than science and fact. This scenario is playing out along the NSW coastline, where 51 shark incidents have occurred at beaches with active shark nets since the 1930s.

Maroubra is not just any old beach. It is iconic, home to surf culture, a beach-going lifestyle, and, of course, passionate and parochial locals. But it is also home to a long list of shark encounters that call into question the effectiveness of the shark nets installed there since the 1930s; these should not be confused with enclosed ocean swimming areas. According to the Australian Shark Incident Database, Maroubra has had seven recorded shark incidents with nets present, which is more than any other netted beach:

• 1953 – Uninjured

• 1953 – Injured

• 2000 – Uninjured

• 2007 – Injured

• 2009 – Injured

• 2011 – Injured

• 2022 – Uninjured

The Maroubra shark net has not prevented these shark encounters, and it never will. And yet, the myth of their effectiveness persists.

Modern surveillance only underscores their redundancy. Drone programs in recent years, like those run by Surf Life Saving NSW and also Randwick Council, show that the overwhelming majority of shark sightings occur on the beach side of these defunct nets, only 150m long, half the depth of the water column, and 500m from shore. It’s one thing to hear that fact, but another to see it, which is why we have visually overlaid drone sighting data with shark net location data. 

The resulting image clearly shows shark sightings scattered throughout the swimming zone, while the so-called “shark net” sits hundreds of metres away, 6 metres deep, in a water column up to 15 metres deep, covering barely a fraction of the beach. It’s more symbolic than functional, an illusion of safety rather than the real thing. You could even go so far as to call it comical. What’s even more telling is that no shark incidents occurred from any of these shark sightings. Between the excellent work of Surf Lifesavers and sharks' general disinterest in humans as a food source, no shark incidents occurred during the time of this drone data.

And yet, despite this data, fear-driven emotional voices continue to dominate the conversation. Paul Fownes, a vocal proponent of shark nets and long-time surf lifesaver at Maroubra, recently questioned their removal with comments like “I remember a day when a four-and-a-half metre white shark got caught in the net… That same morning, we had our Nippers in the water.” [the shark was actually discovered on a Monday while Nippers were on a Sunday] and “If someone gets taken, is the council liable?” — an argument steeped in emotion. This kind of rhetoric ignores the facts and misleads the public, fuelling unnecessary fear.

The NSW Government’s own reporting acknowledges that shark nets are not a barrier and they don’t guarantee a shark incident will not happen. They catch non-target species, including endangered turtles, rays, and harmless sharks, and give beachgoers a false sense of security. Meanwhile, modern technology like drones, tagged shark alert systems, and education campaigns are proving far more effective at keeping swimmers informed and safe, without harming marine life. 

It’s time we stopped pretending these relics of the 1930s (a time when it took 21 stopovers and 12 days to fly to London), are fit for 2025. NSW can lead the way in world shark bite mitigation by removing shark nets, embracing modern solutions, and showing the rest of the world what coexistence with the ocean truly looks like.

It’s not just about protecting humans. It’s about respecting the ecosystem and the ocean we claim to love.