Premier of NSW Chris Minns has announced plans to halt a trial to remove shark nets from three Greater Sydney beaches following the recent fatal shark attack in the Northern Beaches.
57-year-old Mercury ‘Merc’ Psillakis tragically passed away after suffering critical injuries during the attack while surfing at Dee Why beach at around 10am on Saturday.
Police said Psillakis, a husband and father to a young daughter, was about 100 metres from the shoreline at the time of the attack, after which he was brought to land by fellow surfers and pronounced dead at the scene.
Two sections of Psillakis’ surfboard were recovered for expert examination, with the Department of Primary Industries currently working to determine the species of the shark.
Tributes have flown among the surfing community in the wake of the tragedy, while questions have been raised as to the status of shark net trials across NSW’s beaches.
Dee Why was one of 50 beaches between Wollongong and Newcastle to have a net installed on Monday, the first day of spring.
But an upcoming trial to remove shark nets from as-yet undetermined beaches in three NSW councils has now been delayed, with Minns saying no net removals will happen until the Department of Primary Industries delivers its report on yesterday’s attack.
“I want to make sure we understand what happened with this fatal attack, and I’m not going to make a decision before a report is back from primary industries,” Minns said on Sky News.
“We need to understand what happened and how it happened … I need to understand whether the shark got inside the nets or how the system’s operating, before we make big moves,” he added.
While it is delayed until further notice, the trial seeks to remove the nets from three beaches in the the Northern Beaches, Waverley and Central Coast.
All councils expressed interest in the move, with experts claiming that shark nets are ineffective at preventing attacks and can indiscriminately kill other marine life, including turtles and dolphins.
The pause of the trial comes as additional details emerge regarding yesterday’s tragedy, with a witness telling The Sydney Morning Herald that Psillakis yelled “don’t bite me” moments before the attack.
Beaches across Sydney’s northern region remained closed today.
Lead images: Getty Images
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