Authorities will begin tagging large sharks off the NSW coast this week after another man was attacked, suffering leg, back and stomach injuries.

The 38-year-old is in a stable condition at Port Macquarie Hospital after being mauled while body boarding with a friend at Lighthouse Beach on Saturday.

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Beaches in the area have been closed for 24 hours.

Further north at Ballina surfers and fishermen have pushed for a cull after 22 sightings of large sharks and three serious attacks, one of which killed Japanese surfer Tadashi Nakahara.

“These sharks are coming in waist-deep water sometimes, it’s a bit scary,” Ballina Mayor David Wright said.

“You can virtually see them in the breakers. It’s totally unprecedented.”

On Wednesday scientists and authorities will begin tagging the seven large sharks spotted in the area.

Mr Wright said he wanted to see the results from the tagging before supporting a cull.

“It’s no use culling if you don’t know why they’re there,” he said.

Mr Wright has offered to provide help to the Port Macquarie Hastings council.

“It definitely looks like there’s quite a problem if it was a (great) white down there,” he said.

Tourism numbers haven’t suffered despite the obvious deterrence to swimmers and surfers, Mr Wright said.