Shark nets should be used on all popular Australian swimming beaches as they have been used on many beaches across Australia over the past70 years. Shark nets have provided beach goers with safety and peace of mind when swimming and have significantly reduced the amount of shark attacks and fatalities over the years. Australia has more than a quarter of the world's shark fauna. The shark species contribute to healthy oceans as they are top predators in the marine ecosystem. Whenever a person enters the marine environment encountering a shark is a potential risk. This year according to the Taronga conservation society in Australia there have been 29 recorded shark attacks two of which have been fatal. Shark nets have been installed across 250km of 51 beaches along the New South Wales Coastline. There are many types of shark nets, enclosures and other alternatives to protecting the beaches some of these include: drum lines, tracking/tagging, electrical pulses, drones and public alerts. All of these help…show more content… Most shark nets stretch about 200 metres along the beach and down to depths of about six metres. The net is held upright with lines of torpedo floats at the top and sinkers at the bottom. They are anchored at about 200 metres from shore in about 10 metres of water. These nets are not intended to create a barrier and sharks can still get through swimmer above or around them.
Shark enclosures are more often used on harbour beaches and provided an unbroken barrier along the beach providing protection from incoming predators. The net used in making the enclosure is smaller than the material used in shark nets and other marine creature do not get entangled within it. Although, these nets are a short term solution they are also hard, expensive and are a major cause for sand erosion when building. There are other alternative to shark