Two furry Illawarra residents were in a tricky spot after separate encounters with shark nets on the Far South Coast.The National Parks and Wildlife Service responded last week to a report of a fur seal caught in the nets at Bar Beach inside the Narooma Channel.And NPWS staff mounted a similar rescue the previous week after a seal became entangled at Merimbula. In both cases, it took around an hour to free the trapped animals.The Australian fur seal was listed as a vulnerable species in 2002 and there were fears it would become endangered.Fur seal breeding colonies are found only in Victoria and Tasmania. Groups of the animals also make their way to ''haul-out'' sites in eastern Australia, many of which are found on the NSW South Coast.Fortunately, seal numbers are on the rise, Department of Environment and Climate Change spokesman Stuart Cohen told the Illawarra Mercury.''While we don't have numbers, fur seal populations are growing by around 10 per cent per year,'' he said.Unfortunately, Mr Cohen said, growing seal populations would mean more rescues, but shark nets weren't the main threat.''Shark nets don't usually become tangled,'' he said.''The bigger danger is plastic debris or debris from fishing.''Mr Cohen also warned that despite their cute and cuddly appearance, fur seals could be dangerous and people shouldn't approach them on beaches.''The temptation is to get near them and take a photo with them,'' he said.''But you don't want to get between a fur seal and the water.''The rescued seals sustained cuts and other injuries during their ordeal, but are expected to make a full recovery.