A total of 20 sharks were caught in nets off Illawarra beaches between September 2013 and April 2014, including three great whites and eight hammerheads.
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This is up from the 15 sharks that were netted in 2012-13.
Data from the Department Of Primary Industries' monthly catch summaries during the 2013-14 meshing season show 30 marine creatures, including sharks, stingrays and tuna, were found trapped in nets off Illawarra beaches.
Of that number, 12 were classed as "target species" for the net program, a list of sharks including dusky whalers, blacktips, makos, bronze whalers, great whites and tiger sharks.
The other 18 were southern eagle rays, smooth hammerheads, a stingray and a longtail tuna.
White sharks were found off Thirroul, Coledale and Austinmer beaches, while four hammerheads were found off South Wollongong beach.
Most creatures were found dead in netting, but one white shark and a stingray were released alive in September 2013.
A 1.9-metre great white was found at Austinmer in January, while a whopping 3.4-metre dusky whaler was discovered in Coledale nets in February.
Five southern eagle rays were discovered on April 28 at Austinmer and Coledale beaches.
Around the state, 191 creatures were discovered in netting.
Only 46 were target species, while 145 were non-target species, including dolphins, a whale, turtles and rays.
There were six great white sharks found statewide, with Illawarra accounting for half that number.
Five Illawarra beaches are netted by contractors under the shark meshing program - Coledale, Austinmer, Thirroul, North Wollongong and South Wollongong.
The nets are not intended to create a total barrier between bathers and sharks, they are designed to deter sharks from establishing territories, thereby reducing the odds of a shark encounter.