WHAT ARE WE PROPOSING
End the Shark Mesh Program
Introduce a 'No Take' Aquatic Reserve
Create a Grey Nurse Aggregation Site
OUR MISSION
END THE SHARK MESH PROGRAM
Shark meshing traps and kills twice as many threatened and endangered species than it does the three types of sharks it is supposed to keep away from swimmers, according to the NSW Department of Primary Industries (Fisheries).
The shark meshing program is a threat to biodiversity and sustainability. The amount of bycatch killed or injured over many years means the shark meshing program is listed as a key threatening process in the NSW Fisheries Management Act 1994 and the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016.
New methods are available to protect beach goers.
The shark meshing program has been used in NSW since 1937. External contractors set large mesh nets at the beginning of the season and check nets every three days for entangled animals including a range of shark species, marine mammals, and marine turtles. Entangled animals often die and their carcasses are dumped offshore.
Help us to campaign for the NSW Government to permanently stop the program from the beginning of the 2024-25 beach season.
SIGN PETITION
INTRODUCE A 'NO TAKE' AQUATIC RESERVE
A no take zone is the highest level of protection available in NSW waters. It is a sanctuary zone.
If we are going to protect our threatened and endangered species, we need to create areas dedicated to conservation. These areas protect biodiversity, and have scientific and recreational value.
Sanctuary zones allow flora and fauna to recover, breed, and repopulate an area. Sanctuary zones that have been established for 15 or more years, are large, and well enforced really start to show amazing results, with the fish breeding in the sanctuary repopulating the surrounding fishing areas.
Currently, according to the National Parks Association (NPA), around 9% of the terrestrial area of NSW is protected by National Parks but only 6% is protected by marine parks and reserves.
Help us win the public support of the Member for Terrigal, Mr Adam Crouch, Minister for the Central Coast, The Hon David Harris, NSW Minister for Agriculture (Fisheries) The Hon Tara Moriarty MLC, and the NSW Environment Minister, Hon Penny Sharpe MLC to support our campaign.
“It's a location accessible to everyone regardless of how much wealth you have, it's free!"
"I swim with a mask & snorkel every morning and that is special in itself to me, but seeing the marine life such as gropers, rays & sharks makes me feel more alive and sets me up for a great day."
"I want Kurrawyba to be a Marine Protected area so, my kids, their kids and generations to come have the same opportunity as me to enjoy the wonders of the ocean and marine life in our own backyard.”
GREY NURSE AGGREGATION SITE
The Grey Nurse has been categorised by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature as facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
Friends of Kurrawyba came together as ocean swimmers who, over many years, garnered knowledge of the presence of a population of GNS around Terrigal Haven. Over time we have gathered photographic and video evidence of the injuries being caused to this species by both line and spear fishing.
The waters surrounding Terrigal are habitat for a significant range of species including the Grey Nurse Shark, Giant Cuttlefish, Port Jackson Shark, Blue Groper and many other species.
The ultimate desire of our group is to see all species who live in these waters protected. The critically endangered status of the GNS has prompted us to take all practical steps to raise public awareness of the need to protect this vital GNS habitat by declaring it an aggregation site.
We understand the concerns of recreational fishers and believe we can work collaboratively to ensure everyone’s interests benefit from the creation of a GNS aggregation site off Kurrawyba Reserve.
There is not a single Grey Nurse Shark aggregation site between Little Broughton island to the North and Malabar’s Magic Point to the south and yet it is well know Grey Nurse Sharks aggregate and breed in the waters in between.
Our 2024 objective is to secure academic support and funding for a comprehensive study of the GNS population that inhabit the waters around Kurrawyba.
We will hold multiple public events to discuss our objectives and ensure the whole community is activated to support Friends of Kurrawyba.