1937 - present

The only recorded deadly shark attacks at Bondi occurred in 1929, in January and February. Eight years later, after some experimentation, shark nets were installed across Bondi Bay. The nets were part of the NSW Shark Meshing (Bather Protection) Program rolled out at 51 popular beaches between Newcastle and Wollongong in 1937.

Today, typical shark nets are 150 metres long by six metres deep with a mesh size of 60cm sitting at a depth of about 10 metres. They are fitted with ‘whale alarms’ and ‘dolphin pingers’ to warn marine mammals of the nets’ presence. ‘Target sharks’ are white pointers and bull and tiger sharks, the main species involved in incidents with people in the surf.

In Waverley, shark nets are used at Bondi and Bronte beaches each season. The mesh does not cover the entire beach width so sharks can swim over or around nets. At Bondi, a 200-metre-long shark net is placed 500 metres from the Bondi Pavilion, across Bondi Bay between Ben Buckler and Hunter Park.

Recently, concern has increased about marine animals other than sharks being indiscriminately caught and killed in meshing, including threatened and protected species such as grey nurse sharks, turtles, dolphins, humpback whales and seals. Other animals trapped in shark nets include rays and finfish. Annual performance reports since the 2017-18 season reveal that almost 90 per cent of the animals entangled in shark nets were not the target sharks, and more than half were found dead.

Waverley Council has voted to remove the nets from Bondi and Bronte beaches, calling instead for animal-friendly alternatives such as shark listening stations to monitor tagged sharks and drone surveillance. The NSW government, which controls the nets, has no plan to remove them but is seeking feedback on better shark management strategies.