SUMMER'S SHARK MANAGEMENT APPROACH ANNOUNCED
Wednesday, 31 July 2024
The NSW Government will continue to prioritise the safety of beach goers this summer, while increasing protections for marine life, with the release of the state’s 2024-25 Shark Management Program.
Over the 2024-25 season the Government will work to ensure the Shark Management Program is striking the right balance and meeting community expectations.
The Government will further engage with local councils on shark management with a focus on the future use of shark nets, and the exploration of local decision making on the removal or use of nets.
The Program released today includes a suite of new measures to be trialed, which will increase protections for marine life whilst shark nets remain in use, including:
Removing shark nets one month earlier, on 31 March 2025, to respond to increased turtle activity in April.
Increasing the frequency of net inspections by contractors during March from every 3rd day to every 2nd day.
SLS drone surveillance increased over nets during March to scout for turtles on the days contractors aren’t inspecting
Trial of lights on nets to deter turtles and prevent their entanglement during February and March.
Shark nets across NSW are also fitted with acoustic warning devices, such as dolphin pingers and whale alarms, to deter and minimise the risks to those marine mammals.
The $21.5 million Shark Management Program for 2024-25 is designed to protect the safety of beach users from the across 25 local government areas from Tweed to Bega, by reducing interactions with sharks, whilst minimising the impact on other marine life.
A range of techniques will be used in 2024-25 to achieve this objective, such as:
Drone surveillance program using 50 drones, partnering with Surf Life Saving NSW
37 tagged shark listening stations, all year round along the NSW coast
305 SMART (Shark-Management-Alert-in-Real-Time) drumlines across 19 LGAs, all year
Shark nets at 51 beaches across eight LGAs, 1 September 2024 to 31 March 25
Funding Surfing NSW $500,000 to provide mitigation support and services including trauma response kits, drones and training
SharkSmart community education program, including shark and social research.
Over the 2023-24 season 400 drone pilots for Surf Life Saving NSW were trained, who flew more than 36,000 flights across nearly 10,000 hours. Through this use of drones 362 sharks were observed.
SMART drumlines have also been used as an effective tool to keep swimmers safe on New South Wales Beaches, allowing over 413 target sharks such as white, tiger and bull sharks, to be caught, tagged and released last year.
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