The majority of marine animals caught in Australia's largest network of shark nets died, with targeted species only accounting for one in 10 captured.
The NSW government has released its annual report detailing the number of animals and species entangled by its shark nets, days after a surfer was fatally mauled at a beach.
There are 51 nets installed on the state's beaches between Newcastle and Wollongong under the program, each stretching 150 metres and sitting metres below the surface.
The nets are installed at the start of September and remain until after summer.
The government has begun pulling the nets a month earlier, at the end of March, due to increased turtle activity in April.
Of the 13 turtles ensnared in the nets seven died. Green turtles were the main species captured in the 2024/25 reporting period.
The program also trialled LED lights on 21 nets to deter turtles, and the number captured was less than half that of the previous period.
Of the 223 marine species captured by the nets, only 24 were targeted sharks, with the remaining 199 non-target animals accounting for just under 90 per cent of those caught.
Just a third of those captured, 74 animals, were released alive.
The data's release came after Mercury Psillakis, 57, was fatally mauled at Long Reef Beach on Sydney's northern beaches on Saturday.
He had been alerting other surfers to the large shark before he was attacked.
Long Reef is not netted, but nearby Dee Why Beach is.
The first recorded fatal shark attack on the northern beaches in nine decades prompted Premier Chris Minns to scrap a trial to remove nets at three yet-to-be-determined beaches.
"That would be a silly decision to make in light of this tragedy," Mr Minns said.
The 24 target sharks captured included 18 white sharks, four bull sharks and two tiger sharks.
Another 117 non-target sharks were caught, with only one of 48 captured smooth hammerhead sharks released alive, while the nets caught 16 bronze whaler sharks and 12 dusky whaler sharks.
Fifty-six rays were entangled, 16 of them dying.
Four dolphins, all threatened or protected species, died after being caught in the nets.
The government report is dated from July, but was not publicly released until after the nets had been re-installed for the coming summer, and following the death of Mr Psillakis.
Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty was questioned about alleged delays in its release at a budget estimates hearing earlier in September.
Queensland is the only other state with shark nets as part of its management program, with more than two dozen used between the Gold Coast and Mackay.
Western Australia uses rigid "eco barriers" rather than nets.
All three states are investigating and using alternative methods as well.