The ocean isn’t ours — what we get wrong about “culling” sharks

There’s a story humans tell ourselves that goes like this:

A person is bitten. A person dies.
Therefore the ocean has become “unsafe”.
Therefore we must “remove the threat”.

It sounds logical. It’s also deeply… human. As in: centred on us to the point of absurdity.

Sharks aren’t “in our space”. We are visitors in theirs—every single time we step into the surf. And don’t get me wrong, sharks scare me and attacks are awful - but I simply don’t get in the ocean. It’s quite easy to avoid becoming part of this story…

And yet…calls for lethal shark control methods flare up again and again after attacks, despite ongoing debate about whether these measures meaningfully reduce risk. In Queensland, for example, reporting in 2025 covered controversy around expanding lethal measures, with scientists stating there’s a lack of evidence that culling improves safety.

In NSW, the long-running use of shark nets remains contentious, and changes have been politically fragile—one report noted the government paused a net reduction trial after a fatal attack.

The “illusion of control” problem

Here’s what culls and nets often offer the public: a feeling. Satisfying one part of society with some kind of action.

Not a guarantee. Not a forcefield. A feeling.

And that matters, because the moment we believe we’ve engineered nature into compliance, our behaviour changes:

• We take bigger risks,

• We stop paying attention to conditions,

• We treat the ocean like a swimming pool.

That false confidence can cost lives.

Sharks aren’t “bad”. They’re doing shark things.

A shark bite is terrifying. The consequences can be devastating.
None of that makes the animal morally wrong.

Sharks are predators. They investigate. They respond to movement, light, water conditions, prey presence, baitfish, injuries, hormones, migration patterns.

The honest message is simple and uncomfortable:

The ocean will never be zero-risk. I always said about bears in Canada - they are way scarier than sharks. The can swim, run faster than us, break into cars, climb, get into tents - with sharks, all we have to do is stay out of the water.

What actually helps (without turning wildlife into scapegoats)

If the goal is fewer bites and fewer fatalities, there are options that don’t rely on killing marine life as a PR strategy:

1) Better real-time monitoring
Drones, aerial patrols, observation programs, and rapid alerts can help people make informed choices.

2) Smarter non-lethal tech
Some programs focus on alert-and-release approaches (varies by jurisdiction and effectiveness), rather than blanket killing.

3) Public education that isn’t patronising
People deserve clear guidance: avoid murky water, river mouths after rain, bait balls, dusk/dawn in certain conditions, areas with active fishing, etc.

4) Honest beach messaging
Tell people what’s happening today, not what we wish were happening:

• Recent sightings,

• Conditions,

• Closures that stick.

We can be heartbroken without being reactionary

After a bite, communities want reassurance. Officials want to look like they’re acting. The media wants a neat storyline.

Nature doesn’t behave neatly.

If we keep responding to every tragedy by “punishing” wildlife, we’re not making oceans safer—we’re just broadcasting that we’ve learned nothing.

#MarineConservation #SharkSafety #OceanRespect #WildlifePolicy #EnvironmentalEthics #Coexistence #ConservationScience #Australia #Sustainability #AnimalWelfare