Fourteen dolphins were found dead in shark nets installed at NSW beaches during last financial year, amid a surge in the numbers of marine creatures caught.

The latest report on the NSW shark netting program shows four common dolphins, nine bottlenose dolphins and one unidentified, decomposed dolphin were part of 90 threatened or protected species caught in the nets during 2015-16 season.

Also caught were 31 white sharks (21 dead), 19 grey nurse sharks (five dead), one dead hammerhead shark, 24 varieties of turtle (19 dead) and a dead seabird.

By comparison, there were three dead common dolphins caught in nets in 2014-15 among 23 protected or threatened species.