South African Coalition Demands End to Outdated Shark Culling in KwaZulu-Natal

A rapidly growing coalition of over 40 organisations spanning the entire eastern coast line has launched a public campaign to end the use of shark nets and drumlines along the KZN coastline.

“The KZN culling devices don’t just kill sharks — they remove whales, dolphins, and endangered species from our oceans,” said Sam Hansen of the Shark Marine Research Institute. “We have proven, modern solutions that can protect both swimmers and marine life.”

The KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board’s current system, first introduced in the 1950s, is under increasing scrutiny. While it was once seen as innovative, today it is considered outdated and harmful. Many countries have successfully used non-lethal shark mitigation strategies for decades with zero bycatch.

The coalition is calling for independent scientific trials at five KZN beaches to implement non-lethal alternatives.

In a joint statement, The Last Shark Documentary and Earth Legacy Foundation said: “Research shows that the vast majority of animals caught in shark nets are non-target species. These nets and drumlines continue to indiscriminately kill marine life—including protected, threatened, endangered, and critically endangered species—while failing to provide a reliable barrier against sharks. We must ask why outdated technologies from the 1950s are still in use when effective, modern, non-lethal alternatives are readily available.”

The coalition’s petition, which is addressed to the minister of the DFFE, is open for signatures at: https://www.change.org/KZNSBNetsOutNow.

The petition, originally launched by the Last Shark Documentary in partnership with Earth Legacy Foundation, has been gaining over 700 new supporters per day, with even international influencers and conservationists, such as Ocean Ramsey, resharing it.

Organisations in support of this campaign are invited to send an email to thelastsharkdoc@gmail.com in order to join the coalition. Readers are invited to visit https://www.thelastsharkdoc.com in order to learn more about the campaign.