The Department of Primary Industries (DPI) has warned school holidaymakers to be ‘SharkSmart’ these holidays.
Director of Fisheries Research at DPI, Dr Natalie Moltschaniwskyj, (pictured), urged beachgoers to be proactive with their safety, especially when it comes to sharks.
“The NSW Government continues to trial an extensive array of technology with the latest advancements in shark mitigation technology in the air, on the water, and on the ground to reduce the risk of shark bites,” Dr Moltschaniwskyj said.
“NSW is leading the world in trials of SMART Drumlines, which are both a shark mitigation tool and a research tool, that reduce the risk of interactions with sharks while minimising the impact on marine species.”
She said that each day until 30 June 2020, depending on the weather, up to 35 SMART drumlines will be deployed on the North Coast between Lennox Head and Evans Head.
Other trials using 10 SMART drumlines are also underway until the end of this month between Stockton and Merewether; Palm Beach and Newport; Dee Why and Manly; Bega River and Tathra; and Short Point and Pambula.
“We are also using detection technologies, including aerial surveillance using helicopters and drones to observe sharks, and detecting tagged sharks through our network of 21 satellite linked listening stations (VR4G),” Dr Moltschaniwskyj said.
“When sharks are observed or detected, alerts are posted on our SharkSmart app and Twitter,” she said.
