The fatal shark attack on Sydney's Northern Beaches at the weekend has reignited debate over shark nets and their effectiveness.

About 50 of the state's beaches from Wollongong to Newcastle have shark nets installed between September and April each year.

This summer, three Sydney councils were to trial the removal of some nets, but the New South Wales Government has hit pause following the fatality. 

• Guest: Chris Pepin-Neff, Associate Professor in Public Policy and a global expert on human-shark interactions at The University of Sydney
• Producer: Eddy Diamond