Member for Terrigal Adam Crouch has welcomed the government’s new fishing rules to protect critically endangered Greynurse sharks at Terrigal Haven, while calling on the NSW Government to do more and remove shark nets from Central Coast beaches.
From Friday 4 September, the use of wire and chain traces will be banned in waters around the Haven for five years.
Wire traces are commonly used to target sharks, and the changes are intended to reduce the risk of capture, injury and death of the sharks.
Mr Crouch said the change was a positive step for protecting the Greynurse sharks that regularly visit the area, but shark nets remained a threat.
“Our community cares deeply about our local Greynurse sharks at the Terrigal Haven and I welcome these new changes,” Mr Crouch said.
“These sharks are critically endangered and there is no excuse for deliberately targeting them like we had seen earlier this year.”
Mr Crouch said the Minns Labor Government now needed to go one step further and remove shark nets from Central Coast beaches.
“It makes no sense to introduce these new protections at the Haven while continuing to put shark nets in the water that can also trap and kill these very sharks,” Mr Crouch said.
“We have better and more modern shark mitigation methods like monitoring drones, SMART drumlines and shark listening stations.”
“While I welcome this decision, the issue still remains that if a Greynurse swims into these nets, it will most likely die, alongside turtles, dolphins and seals.”