Five monster sharks caught off NSW north coast in two days
Five giant sharks, including one measuring 3.2 metres, have been captured in two days on the NSW north coast.
The monster female great white was the largest of those caught by Department of Primary Industry researchers on Saturday, off Sharpes Beach, Ballina.
It came in the same week as drumlines were installed in beaches across the region in the hope of stopping the spate of shark attacks that has plagued the area.
Other great whites caught included one measuring 3m at Lennox Head, a 2.7 metre one at South Ballina, and two at Evans Head which were 2.5 metres and 2.3 metres in length.
All five were tagged, released and will be tracked as part of the DPI's coastal surveillance program.
Unlike traditional drumlines that kill the marine life, the lines which have been installed in the area are known as SMART drumlines, which issue an alert so sharks can be tagged and released alive.
The controversial nets were deployed on Thursday, ahead of the school Christmas break, for a six-month trial at Lighthouse, Sharpes and Shelly beaches at Ballina, Seven Mile Beach at Lennox Head and Evans Head Beach.
The move comes three weeks after NSW Premier Mike Baird oversaw test shark nets dropped in Ballina, following a number of shark attacks this year on the NSW north and mid-north coasts.
Cooper Allen, 17, was bitten by a great white shark on September 26, and rushed to hospital while surfing off Ballina's Lighthouse Beach.
A 25-year-old surfer suffered cuts after being bitten at Sharpes Beach, south of Byron Bay in Ballina, on October 12.
Weeks later, Jade Fitzpatrick escaped with tooth-sized puncture bites to his upper thigh after a shark crashed into his board, on October 24, while he was surfing between Suffolk Park and Broken Head beach, near Byron Bay.
Last month, champion surfer Sam Morgan, 20, sustained serious wounds to his left thigh after he was bitten by a bull shark off Lighthouse Beach at east Ballana, on November 8.
Colin Rowland, 65, was bitten by what is believed to have been a great white shark measuring between 2.5 and 3.5 metres while surfing at Seven Mile Beach, south of Forster, on December 1.
NSW Primary Industries Minister Niall Blair said on Thursday the test nets had been successful.
"The initial testing of the nets over the past few weeks has allowed contractors to make amendments to help withstand local conditions and give the trial the best chance of success," Mr Blair said.
"The nets have been fitted with whale alarms and dolphin pingers like those used between Newcastle and Wollongong to assist in deterring whales and dolphins and will be checked twice daily."
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The first 10 of an additional 85 SMART drumlines were also rolled out along the north coast beaches on Thursday.
The NSW Department of Primary Industries has tagged 68 great white sharks and 88 bulls on SMART drumlines since August 2015.
The nets are the latest stage in the NSW government's $16 million shark management strategy, which includes increased shark-tagging stations and drone surveillance.
The announcement has been met with strong opposition from locals, who have argued the nets could endanger other marine life, such as dolphins.
Premier Mike Baird said he was pleased with the initial results of the trial.
"While we can’t guarantee everyone’s safety, we will continue to do everything we can to keep swimmers and surfers safe,” he told the Daily Telegraph.
