Join Ali and Andre from Episode 2 of Season 2. We recap a horrific two months of whale entanglements, and even a humpback drowning, and also discuss how this is even legal in 2025. How can we be killing whales with taxpayer dollars, and how is it not against the law?

This was recorded during the final sitting week of federal parliament for 2025, while Environment Law (EPBC Act) reform was being actively debated and negotiated.

Stay tuned for more episodes where we dive deep on the many nuanced issues around shark nets, drumlines, and shark culling as a whole.

Welcome to Season 2 of the Shark Net Podcast. Andre and new co-host Ali will take you through everything that has happened since the last episode, which has been quite a lot! A brief overview of the updates in this ep:

QLD

• New LNP Government
• $88m extra poured into shark culling
• EPBC Act, s43b
• Whale Entanglements
• Frozen out by DPI

NSW

• Shark net removal trial, now abandoned
• Dee Why fatal shark bite
• LED light trial to reduce bycatch
• Shark Nets v Barriers misreporting
• Daily Telegraph reporting inaccuracies and bias

Stay tuned for more episodes where we dive deep on the many nuanced issues around shark nets, drumlines, and shark culling as a whole.

Links:

1. Nets Out Now complaint generator
2. LED light study
3. NSW DPI 24/25 'performance' report

A final update for 2024, with some looking ahead to 2025!

Queensland
As many of you may know, Queensland has changed government, and with it, there are new Ministers and portfolios. Ministers of note for us are:

• David Crisafulli - Premier
• Anthony (Tony) Perrett - Minister for Primary Industries
• Andrew Powell - Minister for the Environment and Tourism and Minister for Science and Innovation

We have requested meetings with all three, and encourage you to do the same.

Prior to the election, the Queensland Department of Primary Industries (previously Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries) had been undertaking a review of its shark control program. Some of you may have been asked to provide input. While we hope the findings of this review will be made public, we will share details with you as soon as we have access to any official details. The review could provide valuable insight into future decisions regarding shark nets and the safety measures that are currently in place.

New South Wales
A few months ago, NSW DPI announced some minor changes to their program including shortening the shark net season by one month. During that announcement, they also committed to engaging with local councils and communities to chart a new path forward for the program. Unlike the previous times they have promised this, they haven't left it to the last second this time. They are taking feedback from local councils right now, to inform changes for the 25/26 meshing season, which we of course hope will not happen. We understand Waverly voted unanimously to ask DPI to remove shark nets, and we understand Sutherland is also supporting this.

We are so far unsure of the positions of the other six, but they have traditionally supported removal and modernisation:

1. Newcastle City Council
2. Central Coast Council
3. Northern Beaches Council
4. Randwick City Council
5. Wollongong City Council
6. Lake Macquarie City Council

If you know anyone at the eight NSW councils with shark nets, please reach out and ensure their feedback to DPI is firm and clear, shark nets aren't wanted anymore. Of course this doesn't guarantee DPI or the Minister will listen - they may still decide to ignore councils like they have done in the past - but we have to ratchet up the pressure from all angles and hope that this is the time for long overdue change.

Federal

Loopholes in federal legislation used by the states to deploy lethal shark nets would be closed and non-lethal shark control measures supercharged in a plan launched recently by the Greens.

Greens spokesperson for healthy oceans, Senator Whish-Wilson said:

“Shark nets are lethal fisheries devices masquerading as sensible protective barriers for humans, but the truth is they merely give a false sense of security to ocean-goers while indiscriminately killing marine wildlife.

“Decades of data reveals 63% of all shark bites in NSW have occurred at netted beaches. Meanwhile most marine wildlife captured in our shark nets are threatened or protected species, including whales, dolphins, and turtles.

“The federal government has a legal responsibility to protect endangered marine species, including those killed in shark nets – but shark nets won’t be removed until increased investment is made to keep ocean-goers safe. It’s time the federal government stopped palming this responsibility off to the states.

“That’s why the Greens are pushing the federal government to remove exi<