True Barriers: Rethinking Shark Safety Infrastructure

Stinger net in North Queensland

A common misconception when it comes to shark nets is that they are a physical, enclosed barrier to separate humans and sharks. This is a fundamental misunderstanding that the Governments in QLD and NSW do very little to correct, likely because they find this misconception to be politically convenient - it makes shark nets seem much more effective and less objectionable when in reality they are a brutish shark fishing device.

Whilst shark nets operate on a hope and a prayer that they might catch and kill sharks in the area, shark barriers physically separate sharks and humans, forming an impenetrable barrier. 

Despite a persuasive 2019 Cardno report, which deemed shark barriers suitable for many Queensland locations, and analysis in Envoy Foundation’s Modernisation Proposal showing that it would be a cost-saving on the current program, no meaningful trials, let alone installations, have taken place. Envoy Foundation’s 2024 Independent Review of the QSCP notes that this resistance appears to stem from political, rather than scientific, motivations.

Not only are proper shark barriers such as the Shark Safe Barrier or Eco Shark Barrier being ignored, but there is another shark exclusion device that already exists in Queensland, which is being severely mismanaged. 

In North Queensland, particularly in Cairns and Townsville, deployed from November to May each year, are stinger nets (which are physical barriers) that serve a dual purpose: protecting swimmers from both marine stingers and sharks. Their primary function is to prevent potentially deadly jellyfish, such as box jellyfish and Irukandji, from entering designated swimming areas. Given that sharks are much larger, and due to the small mesh size of stinger nets, their design also acts as a physical barrier to sharks, unlike shark nets and drumlines.

As highlighted by Cardno in 2019:“In addition to the shark-targeting gears being deployed as part of the SCP, ‘stinger net’ enclosures designed to provide swimming areas safe from box jellyfish via an exclusionary fine-mesh barrier are also likely to contribute to providing protection from interactions with dangerous sharks and peace of mind for bathers.”

The Queensland Government has failed to educate the community or tourists, or promote these areas to bathers as shark-safe areas, and instead double-up on shark control equipment, deploying drumlines and shark nets within the same areas as stringer nets.

Barriers, unlike nets or drumlines, do not aim to kill sharks, and they don’t entangle innocent marine life. Instead, they provide a physical exclusion zone that keeps swimmers safe while allowing marine life to move freely beyond the enclosure. They’ve been successfully used in Western Australia, Réunion Island, and parts of New South Wales.

Technological advancements have made modern shark barriers more adaptable than ever. New materials and flexible anchoring methods can now accommodate various surf and swell conditions, addressing one of the Queensland Government’s key objections. On top of this, stinger nets, which also act as shark barriers, already function in some regions, making drumlines entirely redundant. 

It is apparent that Queensland desperately needs to modernise and trial barriers at appropriate locations, and follow the lead of Western Australia, which has used these devices as a boon for beach safety and tourism. With mounting evidence against lethal methods, the time has come to give barriers a real chance to protect both people and wildlife.