Maria Psillakis advocates for shark safety after husband killed at Dee Why beach

Two months after losing her husband in a shark attack at a popular Sydney beach, Maria Psillakis has spoken publicly about her grief and her mission to make the ocean safer for others.

Mercury Psillakis, 33, was surfing with friends at Dee Why on Saturday September 6 when a great white shark struck.

He had been in the water for just 30 minutes.

“Losing Merc has put a place in my heart that I can’t really put into words. He is, was, my rock, my everything,” Ms Psillakis said.

Determined to prevent other families from suffering a similar loss, Ms Psillakis is calling for stronger safety measures.

“If we can make a positive out of this loss, I just want to, like I said, minimise the risk and perhaps prevent this from happening to another family,” she told 9News on Wednesday.

“I have a little girl that keeps on asking why, and I don’t know what to tell her.”

The attack came two weeks before the start of the patrol season. At the time, the surf club was closed and the shark alarm was not triggered for 45 minutes.

Ms Psillakis said children were swimming near the attack site shortly after.

“Not half an hour later, there were children swimming within 10m of where my husband was,” she said.

While Ms Psillakis acknowledges that the ocean is inherently risky for surfers, she believes there are ways to reduce danger.

“He knew the risks involved, he was aware that it was their territory and not his,” she said.

Ms Psillakis wants authorities to consider evidence-based measures such as drones and smart drum lines, which could improve shark detection.

Mercury had been 80m offshore when the attack occurred, and the predator was untagged, meaning authorities were unable to track it.

“I want to advocate for evidence-based systems to perhaps prevent another tragedy like this,” she said.

Wakehurst MP Michael Regan has joined her campaign.

“Maria, along with Surfing NSW, approached us with a drone program that they wanted to roll out in the metro areas that exist in the regional areas,” Mr Regan told 9News.

Ms Psillakis is now urging Premier Chris Minns to host a roundtable with scientists, surf lifesavers, and the community to discuss ways to save lives.

“I want (Mercury) to be remembered as the remarkable guy he was … is,” she said.