A female dugong over 2m was found floating on the surface off Coogee beach this morning after being fatally caught in a shark net. The animal was found by lifeguards although it is alleged that the Fisheries department were informed of the situation last night. The gentle herbivores are not often found in Sydney waters, inhabiting warmer, tropical waters. It's likely she drifted south on the warm currents before being captured in the net. The animal has been taken to Taronga zoo for an autopsy for further information. Another dugong, male, was fatally caught in shark nets off Freshwater in 2007. 

Shark nets are only deployed in NSW (between Wollongong and Newcastle), Queensland and South Africa. Measuring just 150m wide they are randomly deployed and move from beach to beach from day to day. Sharks are able to swim around the nets, in fact around 40% of sharks are caught on the beachside of the nets as they head back out to sea.

The nets are an antiquated, ineffective tool that does not serve its primary purpose of protecting the public. Both open beach shark attacks that occurred last summer (Avalon & Bondi) had nets deployed at the time.

If you'd like to help us put pressure on the State Govt to implement alternatives please click here to fill out our online survey and let us know what you think of shark nets.