Queensland and New South Wales state legislation allows their respective Fisheries departments to operate a shark mitigation program that uses deadly force to reduce shark populations through the use of both shark nets and catch-and-kill drumlines.

These devices are fishing apparatus designed to catch and kill.

Their use is legislated under Fisheries legislation, and interfering with the equipment is punishable under the Fisheries Act. Public-facing Government communications avoid this fishing reference, but internal and legal references to this program acknowledge that it is a fishing program.

It is designed to selectively slaughter a wild animal, also known as culling.

A 'shark net' is between 150m long (New South Wales) and 183m long (Queensland), 6m deep, and set in 12m deep water. They are often used to "protect" beaches that are many kilometers long. These nets are designed to entangle and kill animals. They are not a barrier, they do not enclose an area. A 'drumline' is a baited shark fishing-hook, hanging from a bouy, that aims to attract and catch sharks. 'Traditional drumlines', also known as lethal drumlines, or catch-and-kill drumlines, are designed to hook and kill animals. Both are set approx 500m from shore, and neither prevents sharks from swimming over, under or around them. As just two examples, there are a total of 2.01km of shark nets used to "protect" the 30km+ of Gold Coast beaches (11 nets x 183m each). These nets do not go more than half-way to the bottom in Queensland.

Bondi Beach spans approximately 1km and is "protected" by one 150m net. These nets do not go more than half-way to the surface in New South Wales.

A peer-reviewed study conducted using Queensland Shark Control Program data found substantial declines (74–92%) of catch per unit effort of hammerhead (Sphyrnidae), whaler (Carcharhinidae), tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) and white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias).

Following the onset of the Shark Control Program program in the 1960s, catch rates in new installations in subsequent decades occurred at a substantially lower rate, indicating regional depletion of shark populations over the past half a century (Roff et al, 2018).

The outcome of Humane Society International (Australia) Inc v Department of Agriculture & Fisheries (Qld) AATA Case proved "overwhelmingly" that mesh nets and catch-and-kill drumlines used by these programs do not make any impact on safety, negatively impact on the marine ecosystem, and provide beachgoers with a false sense of security.

They ruled that these methods must cease to be used within the bounds of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The 'Shark mitigation and deterrent measures' Senate Inquiry (2017) also found substantial evidence that shark nets and catch-and-kill drumlines (used by the Queensland Shark Control Program and NSW Shark Meshing and Bather Protection Program to cull sharks) do not make any positive impact on safety, negatively impact the marine ecosystem, and provide beach goers with a false sense of security.

They recommended these methods cease in favour of modern non-lethal technologies, however both states have thus far refused to comply with this recommendation.