When travelling to the Byron Bay and Northern Rivers region people often wonder whether if there are sharks in Byron Bay?
Unfortunately, Byron-Ballina is the official shark-attack capital of Australia, and the number of attacks has increased since 1990, from 12 to 15. Over the previous thirty years, fatal and nonfatal shark attacks in New South Wales have surged by 1,500 percent.
The primary government technique for avoiding shark attacks is the employment of shark nets to kill all large sharks that wander close our beaches; nevertheless, the rapid increase in attacks demonstrates that this antiquated strategy is ineffective. Due to our economy’s reliance on tourism and beach culture, we must identify viable alternatives immediately.
Where do the shark attacks happen?
The 1930s were the peak decade for shark attacks in New South Wales. In 1935, when two people were murdered by Great White sharks in a single week on Sydney’s beaches, NSW Fisheries solicited solutions from the public and came up with the concept of shark nets.
In the eighty-one years since the first shark nets were built in Sydney in 1937, just one person has been killed by a shark at a beach protected by shark nets. During the same time period, 63% of all shark attacks in New South Wales occurred on beaches protected by shark nets.
Are there shark nets at the beaches in Byron Bay?
Yes there are shark nets in the region. The shark nets, put on 51 beaches throughout 250km of NSW coastline, increase public trust. Worse, they provide a false sense of security and harm marine habitats, while more people are attacked.
Shark nets were never meant to prevent sharks from interacting with swimmers; they are supposed to trap and kill sharks to reduce their numbers, but they represent a threat to all large marine organisms. Only 23 (5%) of 395 marine species killed in shark nets last year were targeted Great White, Bull, and Tiger sharks, according to the NSW Department of Primary Industries Shark Meshing (Bather Protection) Program 2018/19 Annual Performance Report. 95% of the victims were cow-nosed rays, dolphins, and whales.
“Smart” Drumlines can target sharks using baited lines that trigger a signal. Drumlines don’t kill innocuous sea organisms, yet indiscriminately killing sharks is unpopular. For every shark-related death, humans kill 2 million sharks. Shark attacks need smart solutions.
How to be prepared in the rare occasion of a shart encounter
If you are a local or tourist who frequently enters the ocean to swim, surf, snorkel, or dive, you are cordially invited to attend free public workshops that will be held at the Ballina Lighthouse and Lismore. These workshops are open to the general public. During these seminars, community people will have the opportunity to share their experiences, knowledge, and perspectives in order to contribute to the formation of government policy regarding shark management.
Visit the website www.sharkworkshopsnsw.net in order to express your interest in participating in the workshops.
