This council is calling to scrap shark nets to save Terri the seal

A council has raised concerns the reinstallation of shark nets off its beaches would put a beloved resident seal at risk of entanglement and drowning.

Central Coast councillors voted at Tuesday night's meeting to write to Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty "as a matter of urgency", pushing for modern shark mitigation technology to be installed at Terrigal beach and for the reinstallation of shark nets to be canned.

The push comes as the adolescent seal, dubbed Terri by locals, has drawn crowds to Terrigal after making the beach and rockpool its home over the past month, resting on the sand by day and heading out to feed at night.

Concerns were raised when Terri first appeared at the coastal haven with a large wound on its back, which was later identified as a bite from a cookie cutter shark.

Advocacy groups, including the Animal Justice Party and Terrigal-based Friends of Kurrawyba, have seized on the seal's presence to renew calls for the permanent removal of nets, warning Terri could become entangled and drown once meshing resumes.

Councillor Kyle MacGregor, who moved the motion, said many other creatures, who aren't sharks, are killed or maimed and destroyed because of nets.

"Shark nets are held up as a panacea, but really, they're more of a placebo," he said.

"There are better ways to do this.

"There's new technologies that can be used, and from some of the discussions that I've had with people, Terri the seal is universally loved.

"He does go out near the area where the shark net is potentially going to be installed to go and feed in the night."

Councillor Jared Wright said they need to be looking at more modern and innovative solutions to shark nets, including drones and shark listening stations to keep swimmers and wildlife safe.

"Avoca Beach is really the gold standard for the Central Coast," he said.

"It has a 365-day-a-year drone program, a shark listening station and a smart drumline.

"We need to have this as the standard on all of our local beaches. We have 15 patrolled beaches on the Central Coast and more than 40 in total.

"We must ensure we are doing everything we can to keep people safe when they are in the water.

"We do not want to have to wait until a tragedy occurs before the NSW Government acts on this issue here on the Central Coast."

Not every councillor backed the motion.

Cr Trent McWaide was the sole vote against it.

"This was not a vote 'for shark nets'," Cr McWaide said in a statement.

"I absolutely recognise the environmental concerns surrounding shark nets and their impact on marine life, including the concerns about Terri the seal.

"But I also have a responsibility to consider the safety of the thousands of people who swim, surf and enjoy Terrigal Beach, including my own family."

Cr McWaide said he supported SMART drumlines, drones, shark tagging and listening stations as technologies that could ultimately allow the Coast to move away from nets altogether, but said he was not convinced the alternatives were yet ready to fully replace them.

"Before removing an existing shark-mitigation measure, I need to be satisfied that an alternative is ready, properly resourced and capable of providing an equivalent or better level of protection," he said.

"For me, this isn't about choosing between protecting marine life and protecting human life.

"We should be striving to achieve both."