Overview
- The NSW government has activated a $120 million package that begins on September 1 and combines expanded drone patrols, 51 shark nets and 305 SMART drumlines along the coast.
- A $34 million initiative will expand drone surveillance to 97 beaches with daily flights scheduled from 6:15am to 5pm and intensified coverage during the school holidays.
- Two new acoustic listening stations have been installed in Sydney Harbour to send alerts to the SharkSmart app when tagged sharks come within about 500 metres.
- Government research released with the rollout tracked nearly 1,700 great white sharks and studied 13 juvenile white sharks using cameras and movement loggers that showed mostly slow cruising over sandy habitats.
- Conservation scientists and university researchers warn that nets cause high bycatch and mortality while praising detection tools, so debate continues over the ecological trade-offs and how effective nets and drumlines will be in reducing risk.