qld.gov.au
Department of Primary Industries

Shark nets:

  • are designed to catch sharks that pass through the area
  • do not create a barrier between water users and sharks
  • do not prevent sharks from entering an area.

Locations

Large mesh nets are set offshore, parallel to the beach to target sharks greater than 2 metres in length. Nets are not deployed within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

View the map of shark control equipment at Queensland beaches.

Design

  • 124 to 186 metres long, with a mesh size of 500mm
  • Installed offshore away from water users
  • Attached to floats and dropping 6 metres deep into the water
  • Anchored to the sea floor to ensure they stay in place
  • Set according to the prevailing tides and currents of the area
Diagram of a shark net with buoys floating at the surface, a 6-metre drop to the ocean floor, and acoustic pingers to deter dolphins and whales, showing anchoring ropes and chains at both ends.
Diagram of a shark net designed to reduce shark encounters at beaches

Captured animals

Target shark species caught in nets are removed and euthanised.

Non-target shark species are removed from equipment and released alive whenever possible.

Maintenance

The nets are serviced regularly by independent contractors, weather permitting.

They are removed from the water for maintenance and replaced at least once every 21 days.

Last updated: 11 Sep 2026